Phoenix Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer has hinted that injured stars Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal could return for their next game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Budenholzer sounded optimistic about their progress.
“We’ll see how they feel coming out of today,” Budenholzer said.
“The hope, the plan is they’ll play some five-on-five on Sunday and continue to make that progression and hopefully be available for Tuesday night against the Lakers.”
Durant and Beal, both sidelined with left calf strains, participated in three-on-three work and conditioning drills on Friday, which Budenholzer described as a “good day on the court.”
Their return would be a major boost for a Suns team that has struggled without them, going 1-6 since Durant’s last appearance and enduring five straight losses since Beal’s last game.
The Suns are taking advantage of a rare five-day break in their schedule, a result of the NBA Cup’s introduction to the calendar.
This gap has allowed the team to reset and focus on internal improvements. Guard Grayson Allen highlighted the opportunity this downtime presents.
“Get a little bit sharper, we can have, like, a mini-training camp. We could take an hour of time and focus on watching film, walking through some stuff, adding some new things, sharpening up on a few plays,” Allen said.
“It’s pretty rare to get this amount of time. We could do a lot of teaching … with not having to scout for another team.”
Budenholzer echoed those sentiments, emphasizing the importance of situational execution during this stretch.
“Growing how we get into things but then the execution when we’re in them. The decision-making and execution out of situations that come up in every NBA game … it’s good to talk about it, kind of drill it, work on it, then we’ll be prepared for the game.”
The Suns’ schedule has been grueling, with 12 games over three weeks since October 31, and no consecutive days off. While the five-day break offers respite, Allen joked that the team would likely “pay for it elsewhere” with tighter stretches down the line.
Despite recent struggles, the Suns aim to regroup, sharpen their play, and welcome their stars back just in time for a critical matchup against the Lakers.
