It was concerning for the Phoenix Suns when, before their opening night clash against the Golden State Warriors, Devin Booker popped up on the injury report with a toe injury. Nonetheless, Booker was able to play, and in fact, he was great during that game. He put up 32 points, six rebounds, and eight assists to lead the way for a 108-104 Suns victory over the Warriors. Since then, however, Booker has been out for the Suns, and he remains without a definite timetable for a return like his backcourt mate Bradley Beal.

But at the very least, Booker is closer to a return than Beal, according to Duane Rankin of Arizona Republic. This could, perhaps, put the Suns star in line for a return in their revenge game against the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night, although, per Rankin, Booker will be looking to ramp up his workload in practice before the team feels comfortable deploying him out on the court.

What does Devin Booker need to do before he returns for the Suns?

Suns star Devin Booker's foot injury timeline, revealed

Devin Booker's level of conditioning will be crucial to monitor before the Suns allow him to make his return. After all, Booker said after their opening-night win over the Warriors that he was “tired as hell” after not going through much work in the week prior to the game. Now, it looks like Booker is working towards a sufficient level of fitness to, at least, make his return to the court an imminent matter for Phoenix.

According to Rankin, “there's a good chance” that Booker is healthy enough to suit up for the Suns' three-game road trip which begins on Saturday against the Philadelphia 76ers, continues on Sunday in the second leg of a back-to-back against the Detroit Pistons, and ends next Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls.

In Devin Booker's absence, the Suns will continue to rely on the likes of Eric Gordon, Grayson Allen, and Jordan Goodwin to give the team some semblance of his shot-creation and shot-making skills. Kevin Durant, in the meantime, figures to shoulder much of the offensive workload with both of his co-stars out due to injury.