Booker (groin) has been ramping up his on-court work and could return to the floor as soon as Tuesday's game against the Nets, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
This means that Booker will remain on the sidelines for Phoenix's games Friday and Saturday, but he will be traveling with the team on its upcoming five-game road trip, and it sounds like his return is right around the corner. He'll likely be eased back into things, but once he returns, expect Torrey Craig to head back to the second unit, and there won't be as many minutes available for guys like Ish Wainright and Damion Lee. Cameron Johnson's usage rate will dip as well.
... See More... See Less
Suns' Devin Booker: Considered day-to-day
Rotowire
Booker (groin) continues to progress in on-court activity, and his status will be updated game by game, Gerald Bourguet of GoPHNX.com reports.
Booker has already been ruled out for Wednesday's game versus the Hawks but will have his first chance to return in Friday's matchup with Boston. The star guard hasn't played since Dec. 25 due to a left groin strain. However, it seems likely that Booker will take the floor in early-to-mid February.
... See More... See Less
Suns' Devin Booker: Out at least another week
Rotowire
The Suns announced Wednesday that Booker (groin) will be re-evaluated in a week, Gerald Bourguet of GoPHNX.com reports.
Booker is progressing in his recovery from a left groin strain, but coach Monty Williams said Sunday that the 26-year-old still has "a lot of boxes to check" before returning to game action. Booker will be out until at least early February, but it's certainly possible that he's forced to miss even more time, given Williams' update over the weekend.
... See More... See Less
Suns' Devin Booker: Still lacking clear return date
Rotowire
Suns head coach Monty Williams said Sunday that he doesn't have an exact date for when Booker (groin) will be re-evaluated, but the three-time All-Star isn't expected to be ready to play anytime soon, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reports. "We've got a lot of boxes to check before he can even approach [a return to game action,]" Williams said. "He's had non-contact practices, but that's not the same as getting beat up a little bit and playing in 3-on-3, 4-on-4, 5-on-5, playing in three-minute spurts, which is on average what you do in a game before there is a whistle."
After Booker suffered the left groin strain in the first quarter of the Suns' Christmas Day loss to the Nuggets, the Suns announced three days later that he would be re-evaluated in four weeks. Though one month has now passed since he sustained the injury, Booker remains without a clear target date to resume playing, given that he hasn't yet been cleared even for full-contact practice. At this stage, fantasy managers may want to be prepared for the possibility that Booker is sidelined through the All-Star break, though more clarity on his timeline could arrive whenever his re-evaluation comes.
Booker (groin) is out for at least four weeks, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
After missing three straight games, Booker attempted to play through the injury Christmas Day against the Nuggets but lasted just four minutes. Now the team will be more cautious with its star guard, opting to sit him out for a month-plus. Phoenix has proven capable of succeeding despite injuries to key players in the past, but it's still a massive blow to a team looking to reach the top of the Western Conference and compete for an NBA title. In Booker's absence, more minutes should remain available for Landry Shamet, Josh Okogie and Damion Lee. Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton should also continue seeing more usage. On a positive note, it appears that Cameron Johnson (knee) could return before Booker, which should give the Suns a jolt.
