Phoenix Suns superstar Bradley Beal will have to wait to make his debut with his new team, as it will not come on Tuesday night against the Golden State Warriors.
Beal was one of the major offseason acquisitions this summer, as he was traded from the Washington Wizards to Phoenix, which is in search of an NBA title featuring a core of Beal, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. The latest NBA Big 3 will have to wait for its debut game, however, as Beal will be out for the time being.
Considering Beal's injury history, NBA fans initially took Beal's absence as a case of load management. The league itself has done all it can to combat sitting stars for meaningful regular-season contests, though it appears some teams are still willing to pay fines if necessary in order to prepare for the postseason.
Why isn't Bradley Beal playing for the Phoenix Suns?
In the case of Bradley Beal, the Suns star is not sitting for rest. Of course, that would not make much sense given it's the first game of the season. Per Shams Charania, Beal is dealing with a back injury:
"Bradley Beal has been ruled out of Suns-Warriors on Opening Night due to back issue. Beal had been unlikely throughout the day, but there's optimism the All-Star is progressing in his return process," Charania reported on X.
NBA fans were less likely to back up this explanation, though, and immediately jumped to the conclusion that Beal was sitting due to load management.
It should be noted that Kevin O'Conner was merely being sarcastic. Others weren't as understanding.
Beal hasn't played a full season since the 2018-19 league year. Since then, Beal has played in just 57, 60, 40 and 50 games. Even if the Suns were playing it safe, it would be tough to blame them.
