Bradley Beal out 3 weeks before Suns will re-evaluate health due to back injury

Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal will miss the next three weeks before the team re-evaluates his lower back strain that has kept him out of eight of the 11 games so far this season, the team announced Friday.

The Suns (5-6) said that timeline was determined “following further evaluation and consultation on his injury.”

Beal last played Sunday in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder but tweaked his back during the first half. While he finished that game, he sat out Wednesday in a blowout win against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The shooting guard’s absence further sets back the Suns’ regular-season debut of the star trio including Beal, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant.

Beal, who was acquired in an offseason trade between Phoenix and the Washington Wizards, missed the first seven games of the season and made his Suns debut last week at the Chicago Bulls. He played three games and was probable to take the floor with Booker for the first time in the regular season against the Timberwolves, but the Suns ruled him out shortly before the opening tip.

Head coach Frank Vogel said Wednesday that Beal woke up with residual tightness that did not loosen up before the game.

Beal is averaging 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists in three appearances, where he’s been restricted to 29 minutes per night.

When will Bradley Beal return from back injury?

If Beal is ready at the end of the three-week timeline, around Friday, Dec. 8, it would come about 20 games into the 2023-24 season.

On the calendar, the Suns do not have games currently scheduled from Dec. 2-12 due to the NBA In-Season Tournament.

The quarterfinals of that event are scheduled for Dec. 4-5, with semifinals on Dec. 7 and the championship game in Las Vegas set for Dec. 9.

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