On Monday, the Phoenix Suns announced that Bradley Beal would be out for at least two weeks due to a sprained ankle. But Beal told Marc J. Spears of Andscape that he hopes to return “much sooner” than that.
The next @RealDealBeal23 Diary in @andscape coming out Christmas Day. The injured #Suns guard told @andscape that he hopes to return from his right ankle injury much sooner than the projection of two weeks last Monday. Beal added that he loves playing in NBA Christmas games. pic.twitter.com/FCSh5rFVD2
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) December 20, 2023
NBA Rumors: Bradley Beal Plans To Court Return Soon & Status Updates Concerning Jusuf Nurkic, Malik Monk, Plus More
Beal injured his right ankle against the New York Knicks last Friday just five minutes into the contest. In announcing the time Beal would miss on Monday, the Suns said he would be re-evaluated in two weeks, putting the estimated return date after the New Year.
INJURY UPDATE: Bradley Beal will miss the next two weeks of play to rehab a right ankle sprain. He will be re-evaluated at the start of January.
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) December 18, 2023
Beal has played in just six games this year, and the Knicks was his third since returning after a month off due to a recurring back issue.
Phoenix is 14-13 on the season, though the Suns have lost seven of 10, entering tonight’s contest against Sacramento. Jusuf Nurkic (personal) also won’t be available for the Suns tonight. Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic said that Nurkic is expected to play on Christmas Day against Dallas.
Jusuf Nurkic isn't with the team due to personal reasons, but is expected to be back for Monday's Christmas game vs. Dallas. #Suns
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) December 22, 2023
Josh Okogie won’t play for the Suns after being initially listed as questionable. It is the fifth straight game that the 25-year-old will miss due to a hip flexor.
Josh Okogie (hip) OUT. #Suns
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) December 23, 2023
Earlier today, Okogie told Rankin that he was able to run without issue now. But he still needed to ensure he regained his “explosiveness” before he got back on the court.
"No player's only meeting for us so far. Hopefully we don't have to get to that point, but we'll see." Chimezie Metu when asked about reaction after Blazers loss. #Suns #Kings pic.twitter.com/5Y1HAxiUzq
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) December 22, 2023
Malik Monk Returns For Kings
Sacramento listed three players on its injury report for tonight’s game against the Suns. However, Malik Monk will suit up for the Kings (16-10) as he has been cleared from a foot issue that caused him to miss Thursday’s practice. Monk, who participated in the Kings’ shootaround today, has played in all 26 games this season.
Malik Monk (foot) and JaVale McGee (wrist), who are both listed as questionable are out here for this morning’s shootaround.
As is Alex Len (ankle), who remains out. pic.twitter.com/gS6awsEfWK
— Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) December 22, 2023
Reserve big man JaVale McGee (wrist) also will be available after being listed as questionable. Like Monk, McGee participated in today’s earlier shootaround.
Other Tidbits
The Atlanta Hawks inked Vit Krejci to a two-way contract today. Krejci was signed off of the G-League Iowa Wolves roster. The 23-year-old guard, selected in the second round by the Washington Wizards in 2o20, scored five points on 2 of 3 shooting in his season debut on Wednesday. Krejci also doled out six assists, grabbed two rebounds, and recorded two blocks in 20 minutes of action against the Greensboro Swarm in the G-League Showcase.
Krejci appeared in 29 games for the Hawks last season before being waived in the offseason. He signed a training camp deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves on September 14 but was cut before the start of the regular season. Krejci averaged 6.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in 30 games, including eight starts, for the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2021-22.
To make room for Krejci, Atlanta waived undrafted rookie Miles Norris. Norris averaged 9.8 points and 6.8 rebounds in 27.0 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .414/.305/.636 for the Skyhawks this year. However, Norris may remain with College Park if he doesn’t get another opportunity, according to Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Exactly and that doesn’t mean that the Hawks have said “goodbye” to Norris. So long as he clears waivers, he will likely remain in College Park to continue developing in the Hawks system https://t.co/pPm4kB0Hcw
— Lauren L. Williams (@WilliamsLaurenL) December 22, 2023
As Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks noted, Krejci is more NBA-ready than Norris, which may be what Atlanta is prioritizing right now, with a few players unavailable due to injuries or personal reasons.
