Why is Bradley Beal not playing vs San Antonio Spurs? Latest injury update from Phoenix Suns (November 2) 

Bradley Beal has yet to make his season debut for the Phoenix Suns. The All-Star wing was acquired during the offseason. Beal previously played for the Washington Wizards. However, the Eastern Conference franchise had entered a rebuild and decided to cash in on its star player.

Washington received Chris Paul as part of the deal before flipping him in a separate trade for Jordan Poole. However, since moving to Phoenix, Beal has been dealing with a back injury that has kept him out of the rotation. At the time of writing, Beal is listed as out for the Suns' Thursday contest against the San Antonio Spurs.

Bradley Beal has missed considerable playing time over the past few seasons. He's missed at least 30 games in both of the previous two basketball years and has already lost four games with the Suns. Beal's injury history was well documented, yet the Suns decided to roll the dice on his addition.

Currently, there hasn't been a timetable set for Beal's return. The veteran wing's addition is expected to elevate the Suns into championship contention. However, he will need to be healthy and available for Phoenix to reach their goal of making the NBA Finals.

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Stephen A. Smith has concerns over Bradley Beal's fitness

In a recent episode of ESPN's "First Take," long-time sports anchor Stephen A. Smith shared his concerns regarding Bradley Beal's lack of fitness and his recent history of being unavailable.

"I'm a big Bradley Beal fan, but since 2019, he's missed about 105 of the last 312 games," Smith said. "He missed about 32 games last year. He's only played about 90 games in the last two seasons. And now, they're talking about back injuries, and they don't know when he'll be back. I'm starting to get really, really concerned. I need to see this guy on the court."

The Phoenix Suns won't be too concerned about Beal's current injury issues at such an early point of the season. They will be focused on how he can elevate the team in the final stretch and into the playoffs. However, if Beal's absence stretches beyond the Christmas period, questions will be raised as to his fit on the roster and whether trading for the All-Star was a mistake by the franchise.

Those discussions are still months away at this point. Beal could potentially return in the near future, and any concerns surrounding his availability and overall fitness will fade into nothing. The Suns have the chance to be special this year. Beal is a large part of that. Phoenix needs him to get healthy and back on the court as soon as possible.