Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (back) won't suit up for Thursday's game against the San Antonio Spurs. The superstar guard will miss his fifth straight game as he continues to deal with back spasms. The Suns haven't given a timetable for Beal's return, so fantasy managers will just have to patiently wait. The good news is, Devin Booker (ankle) is listed as questionable for this game. His return would be a significant boost to this roster. Grayson Allen and Eric Gordon should be viable streaming options while Beal remains on the bench.

Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (back) has already been ruled out ahead of Tuesday's matchup with the Spurs. The veteran is battling a back issue and hasn't played yet this season. Phoenix is looking to get him healthy and keep him that way in hopes of capturing an NBA championship, meaning the team will take things slow before putting him out there. But with Devin Booker (ankle) doubtful, the Suns may rely on Jordan Goodwin and Eric Gordon to remain the primary ball-handlers. However, both men are risky fantasy options in any format.

Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (back) won't play on Saturday against Utah. Beal will miss his third consecutive game because of back spasms, so his next chance to make his official debut with his new team will be on Tuesday versus the visiting Spurs. With Devin Booker (foot) doubtful, Kevin Durant, who had 39 points in the loss to the Lakers on Thursday, is the obvious favorite to see an uptick in production. At the same time, guys like Eric Gordon, Josh Okogie, and Jordan Goodwin could be valuable streaming options for those participating in deeper fantasy setups.

Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (back) is not ready to play in Thursday's contest against the Los Angeles Lakers. Beal is still dealing with back discomfort, which cost him Tuesday's regular-season opener against the Golden State Warriors. The 30-year-old three-time All-Star will target Saturday's home opener versus the Utah Jazz for his Suns debut. Grayson Allen started and played 20 minutes in a scoreless effort during Tuesday's opener in Beal's stead, but Eric Gordon received 31 minutes off the bench. Both could start due to a lack of proven options, with Kevin Durant situated to handle massive usage as a chalky DFS play on Thursday's miniature slate. Playmaking big man Jusuf Nurkic should be much busier with Devin Booker (foot) also out, but he averaged a mere 5.3 points (8.7 rebounds) and 2.3 assists during 25.8 minutes across three contests against L.A. last season.

Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (back) is listed as doubtful for Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers. The star guard continues to deal with lingering back tightness and forced him to sit out of the season opener. It appears Beal is in line to miss his second straight game. Grayson Allen moved into the starting five on Tuesday, but both him and Eric Gordon struggled offensively. Fellow guard Devin Booker (foot) is also listed as doubtful for this game. That means, Allen and Gordon could be looking at big roles with both Beal and Booker unlikely to suit up.

Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (back) has been downgraded to out ahead of Tuesday's game against the Golden State Warriors. The superstar guard has been dealing with back issues since the beginning of the preseason. The hope was that he would be able to play here, but he continues to deal with lingering back tightness. Grayson Allen will move into the starting five for this game. The move into the starting unit should give Allen a boost in fantasy value. Suns' head coach Frank Vogel said he's hopeful for Beal to play in Thursday's contest. Fantasy managers will have to check back for another update on his status.

Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (back) is a game-time decision for Tuesday's season opener against the Golden State Warriors, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. It's something of an upgrade after The Athletic's Shams Charania reported Tuesday morning that Beal was not expected to play. Beal practiced on Sunday and Monday with a back issue, and he also indicated an intention to play on Opening Night. With the 30-year-old scoring machine's status in doubt Tuesday, his next chance to make his regular-season debut would arrive on Thursday against the Los Angeles Lakers. Season-long fantasy managers and DFS players should look for Grayson Allen or Eric Gordon to make a spot start as possible budget options in Beal's possible stead, with rostership likely flocking toward Devin Booker (toe) and Kevin Durant shouldering the vast majority of Phoenix's ball-handling duties in this setup on a two-game slate.

Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (back) is questionable ahead of Tuesday's clash with Golden State. The former Wizard is battling lower back tightness, so his official debut with the Suns is in jeopardy. The problems for Phoenix don't end there, as Devin Booker (toe) could also miss the opener. Both players are expected to handle the ball this season, so the team certainly hopes at least one of them can suit up. But If neither man is available, Jordan Goodwin would likely enter the starting lineup, although Kevin Durant would probably receive even more scoring chances.

Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (back) was limited in practice on Sunday while he dealt with a back issue. His injury is being classified as lower back tightness and head coach Frank Vogel was the one that limited his work. Vogel also said that Beal should be fine for the team's season opener on Tuesday against the Golden State Warriors. Beal, who was newly acquired from the Wizards, averaged 23.2 points, 5.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.9 turnovers per game last year. His mix of shooting and playmaking should fit well alongside fellow stars Devin Booker and Kevin Durant.

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (rest) and Bradley Beal (back) have been ruled out for Thursday's preseason matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. This appears to be a routine rest day for Booker as the Suns don't want to risk anything this close to the regular season. Beal continues to deal with a back issue, but the injury isn't believed to be serious. Both players are expected to suit up on Opening Night. In the meantime, Grayson Allen and Eric Gordon will move into the starting five for Thursday's game.

Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (back) is expected to suit up for Monday's matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers, according to head coach Frank Vogel. The superstar guard didn't suit up on Thursday due back tightness. However, Beal was a full participant during Saturday's practice, so he should be fine for Monday. Fantasy managers shouldn't be worried as this appears to be a minor injury.

Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (back) will remain on the bench ahead of Thursday's preseason contest against the Portland Trail Blazers. The superstar guard is available, but won't be in the starting five for this contest. Beal continues to deal with back tightness, so it wouldn't be shocking to see the Suns continue to hold him out. He has yet to make his preseason debut, but his next chance will come on Friday. Fantasy managers shouldn't be worried as Beal should be ready to go in time for the regular season.

Well, it finally happened. For the first time in 11 years, Damian Lillard is no longer a Trailblazer.On Wednesday, the nearly three-month saga that held NBA news hostage all summer came to an abrupt halt after Lillard was astonishingly acquired by the Milwaukee Bucks. It was a blockbuster three-team deal that included the Phoenix Suns, nine total players, one first-round pick, and one pick swap.Here is the full breakdown of the trade and my analysis of how it will affect the NBA in 2023-2024 and fantasy basketball. 

The Trade

The Bucks receive - Damian LillardThe Blazers receive - Jrue Holiday, Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara, Bucks' 2029 first-round pick, Bucks' pick swapThe Suns receive - Jusuf Nurkic, Nassir Little, Keon Johnson, ... [More]

It's a crazy time of year around the National Basketball Association. Not long after the Denver Nuggets captured the franchise's first championship, French big manVictor Wembanyama was the top pick of the 2023 Draft.While new talent entering the league is all well and good, nothing turns the NBA upside down quite like the beginning of free agency. Since June 30, many notable players have signed with new teams. There were also more than a few significant trades. In either case, at least a handful of clubs will look very different (for the better?) come training camp. Let's take a look at some of the biggest names on the move and how they might affect the NBA landscape this season. 

Fred VanVleet - Houston Rockets

The Rockets entered the 2022-23 campaign as the second-youngest team in the National Basketball Association, and it showed. The club finished with 22 wins and 60 losses, with the Pistons being the only team with a worse record. As a result, the front office made a point to shake things up after the exhaustingly long year came to a close.The overhaul began when Stephen Silas, winning just 59 of his 236 games in Houston, was relieved of his head coaching duties. In his place, Ime Udoka, who helped guide the Celtics to an NBA Finals appearance in his first season, took the reigns. While Udoka's tenure in Boston didn't end on a positive note, he's still regarded as one of the sharpest minds in the league, even by those who lost respect for him on a personal level.https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1650612243661242369?s=20While having a knowledgeable head coach will help accelerate the growth of an up-and-coming squad, the Rockets needed someone to facilitate things on the floor. With Houston having plenty of cap space entering the offseason, the team signed ... [More]

Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal has played more of the shooting guard role for almost his entire career in Washington. After the Suns traded away Chris Paul and Cameron Payne, that leaves a gap at point guard with only Jordan Goodwin and two-way player Saben Lee as the only ones listed at the position. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Beal is heading into training camp expected to be the starting point guard. There was only one season that he played more than 16% of his time at point guard, which was the 2017-18 season and Beal averaged 22.6 points, 4.5 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game while making his first all-star appearance.

The Sacramento Kings were one of the teams linked with Bradley Beal, but according to The Athletic's David Aldridge, the talks broke down when Washington wanted to include Keegan Murray in the deal. It appears as though Murray has had admirers in D.C. for a while, as Aldridge added that the Wizards looked to move up in last year's draft to get their hands on the Iowa product. Murray had an up-and-down rookie campaign but should be satisfied with his overall work, having averaged 12.2 points and 4.6 rebounds with 41.6 percent shooting from three-point range. The 22-year-old should only get better with experience, and it looks like the Kings have all the faith in the world in him, with recent reports suggesting that Murray will remain a starter in 2023-24 even if Sacramento strikes a deal with Euro star Sasha Vezenkov.

The Wizards traded guard Bradley Beal to Phoenix on Sunday. In exchange, Washington acquired Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, and picks. Beal, who re-signed with the Wizards on a five-year, $251 million contract in July 2022, will now wear a different uniform for the first time since entering the league. The 29-year-old averaged 22.1 points and shot 37.2% from deep in his 11 seasons in DC. He is a multi-time All-Star as well. But he's dealt with plenty of injuries during his career, which is still a concern for fantasy managers. It's also reasonable to assume the pairing with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker will cause a drop in scoring for Beal moving ahead.

According to Shams Charania of the Athletic, the Wizards are considering offers on guard Bradley Beal. The Heat and Suns are two teams specifically mentioned, with Miami looking to move Duncan Robinson and Kyle Lowry while Phoenix would send Deandre Ayton. Of course, other small parts would be included in each team's respective deals, although it's reported that the Wizards would rather get Tyler Herro from Miami in any prospective trade package. Either way, it appears Beal's days in Washington may finally be coming to an end. However, his fantasy outlook will remain a mystery until fantasy managers see where he lands ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.

The Sacramento Kings have emerged as a potential landing spot for shooting guard Bradley Beal, but Kings insider James Ham has noted that his move to Sactown is "unlikely." "His contract is obscene and the amount of finagling it would take to make it all work takes a master's level education in capology," added Ham. The Kings ended a 16-year postseason drought this spring and are looking to upgrade the roster to quickly make the next step. However, it appears like they have to look elsewhere to add star power next to Domantas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox.

Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal is a popular name right now in trade talks and rumors all around the league. The latest team that's joined the race, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, is the Sacramento Kings. Apparently, there isn't a clear pathway to trade between the two teams, but Beal is believed to consider going to Sacramento after the success they experienced this season. Beal's contract is going to be the biggest hurdle for any trade other than one with the Houston Rockets who have the most cap space in the league.