Phoenix Suns Big 3 set to play in third preseason game at Portland Trail Blazers

Bradley Beal wouldn't say if Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and himself were playing in Thursday’s preseason game at Portland after sitting Tuesday against the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets.

Then he started looking across the way at Frank Vogel.

“That’s a coach question,” Beal said after Wednesday’s practice.

Then his smile and laugh gave it away before Vogel later confirmed the Phoenix Suns' Big 3 will play against the Trail Blazers in their third preseason game in six days.

“We’re set,” Vogel said.

Phoenix lost, 115-107, Tuesday to the Nuggets at Footprint Center without Booker, Durant and Beal. Vogel said before Tuesday's game all three weren't going to play in all five preseason games, but they will have Booker, Durant and Beal available after a spirited, energetic practice Wednesday.

“When I came here and heard about these guys, and it’s been true, they love to hoop,” Vogel said. “They want to be in there. They want to practice. So for a coach, that’s a dream to have guys who want to practice versus guys that don’t. You’ve got to be smart with it. You don’t want to overdo it, but I love that those guys want to be in there.”

Booker, Durant and Beal played the first half of Sunday’s 130-126 overtime win at Detroit as they fueled a 46-point first quarter against the Pistons.

Josh Okogie and Jusuf Nurkic started with Booker, Durant and Beal.

The Suns are looking to have Jordan Goodwin back from right hamstring tightness as he hasn’t played in the first two preseason games. Goodwin is listed as probable on the team's injury report.

“He was a full participant (in Wednesday’s practice),” said Vogel about Goodwin. “We’re hopeful that if he responds well to today’s work that he could available.”

Ish Wainright (calf) and Damion Lee (knee) remain out while Drew Eubanks (ankle) is listed as questionable as he suffered his injury in the second half of Tuesday's game.

Suns officials announced Wednesday evening that Lee underwent successful surgery on his right meniscus.

The Suns will see a familiar face Thursday in Deandre Ayton, who they traded to Portland right before training camp in a three-team deal that sent Damian Lillard to Milwaukee and brought the 7-footer, Nurkic to Phoenix.

Ayton averaged a double-double in each of his five NBA seasons with the Suns after being taken first overall in the 2018 draft out of Arizona.

The new Blazers big posted eight points on 4-of-10 shooting, six rebounds, two assists, two steals, a block, zero turnovers and zero fouls in 15 minutes of Portland’s 106-66 preseason win Tuesday over the New Zealand Breakers.

“They really had no answer for him,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said after Tuesday’s game in Portland. “Everybody was kind of rushing so we never really got a chance to get it to him. I thought he rushed a few shots, just anxious as well. Down there, easy bunnies for him. Little jump hook that we know he likes to get to that, left shoulder. So he missed some easy ones for him.”

The Blazers also got rookie Toumani Camara in the three-team trade. The Suns selected him out of Dayton in the second round of the 2023 draft.

Camara came off the bench in the second half to score 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting Tuesday in 14 minutes. Shooting 2-of-3 from 3, Camara add four rebounds, three assists and a steal.

“He’s very competitive and he’s tough,” Billups said. “He’s physical. He’s running through screens when he’s supposed to be sliding through, but he wants to continue to make people feel his strength and his presence out there. As you seen him on the offensive end, he’s got good feel. He knows how to cut behind the back of the defense. He’s a mature, young player.”

Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.

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