The Phoenix Suns' All-Star guard Chris Paul is "probable" to return to action on Thursday against the Denver Nuggets.

The 36-year-old suffered an avulsion fracture in his right thumb in a 124-121 win over former team the Houston Rockets on February 16, though he still played two minutes for Team LeBron in the All-Star Game four days later.

Paul has missed the past 15 games for the Suns, his absence coinciding with a slight wobble from the 59-14 league leaders as they lost four of their next nine games.

However, Phoenix have won six in a row since then, and the return of Paul will be a welcome boost with the playoffs on the horizon.

Paul had been a key part of the season up to his injury, averaging 14.9 points and a league-leading 10.7 assists.

Even with his injury, only Atlanta's Trae Young (634) has more total assists this season than Paul's 619, having played nine games more.