Is Devin Booker playing tonight against the LA Lakers? Latest on star forward's availability (Dec. 5)

Devin Booker is expected to participate in the Phoenix Suns in-season tournament quarter-finals matchup against the LA Lakers on Tuesday, December 5. However, the Suns will be without Bradley Beal, who continues to struggle with a back injury and is yet to have a healthy stretch this season.

The Suns will also be without Damion Lee, who is recovering from surgery on his right meniscus, while veteran guard Eric Gordon is questionable due to a right knee contusion.

Phoenix will come into their game against the Lakers, having lost their last two meetings and will likely want to get back into the win column against one of their conference rivals.

Fans will be hoping LeBron James is cleared to play (he's questionable to start the day) so we can see another meeting between "The King" and Kevin Durant — a matchup that always promises some high level basketball from both sides. Still, Booker's availability will be a big boost for Frank Vogel's team.

In his 11 games so far, Booker is averaging 27.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 8.4 assists, shooting 47.2% from the field and 39.7% from 3-point range. It's that type of production that makes Booker such a dangerous running mate alongside Durant and will give the Lakers problems on the defensive end.

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Bradley Beal's health will dictate the Suns' chances of success

The Phoenix Suns acquired Bradley Beal during the summer with the hope that his scoring and playmaking would be the final piece to their championship puzzle. When healthy, Beal is an All-NBA talent who can raise the ceiling of Phoenix's offense while also being a reliable system defender.

However, Beal has struggled with health and availability in recent seasons. As such, the Suns took a calculated risk this summer, knowing that Beal could miss a significant stretch of games. Yet, if he's healthy in the second half of the season and throughout the playoffs, Beal could be the deciding factor in Kevin Durant winning his second ring.

Still, the Suns' roster is incredibly top-heavy. It's designed to have three elite offensive talents on the court. With Beal consistently missing time, the Suns are not only short-handed and lacking in depth, they're also missing out on key development time for their All-Star trio.

Beal's return from injury will need to be managed carefully. Frank Vogel must ensure that Beal is capable of staying on the floor and in the rotation once he's cleared to play. Otherwise, another spell on the sidelines could follow, and that would be a worst-case scenario.