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Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant reportedly has a minor calf strain and will be sidelined to start Team USA training camp in Las Vegas due to precaution, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.
Kevin Durant will be missing the first two days of training camp for Team USA, and while it is not considered serious, his status for Wednesday's exhibition game against Canada is in question, according to Charania.
Team USA's first Olympic game is set for July 28 against Serbia in Lille, France. For now, if Durant is able to be replaced on the roster if he is unable to play, but once the final roster is submitted to the Olympic governors later this month, no one can be replaced, according to Charania.
Durant is not the only one that Team USA is being careful with. Joel Embiid and Kawhi Leonard have been managing knee injuries, but have been participating in practices. Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum missed the first day of practice due to personal reasons, but is in Las Vegas and joined the team on Sunday, according to Charania.
Team USA has plenty of time before July 28. With three weeks to go before the first Olympic game, the smart move is to manage any injuries that could get worse by participating in practice. Durant is one of the best Olympic performers of all time, Team USA's leading point scorer, to be exact. He will undoubtedly want to add onto that legacy this time around, and does not want to risk losing what might be his final opportunity to participate in the games to an injury that could have been prevented.
How much longer will Kevin Durant play?
Currently at 35 years old, many would assume that Durant is in the back half of his career. He is undoubtedly a one of the greats of this generation, and he hopes to add a championship or two to his resume with the Suns. He discussed how much longer he wants to play, emphasizing that he will always be comfortable playing a specific role to fit a team.
“I can tap in and roll at any time,” Durant said, via Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo! Sports. “It's about how many minutes, how many shots I'm gonna get. I just love to play the game. If it's a good situation, if I'm still enjoying the game of basketball, my goal is to play this (game) till the wheels fall off, for whatever role that is, so we'll see.”
Durant still played at a high level this past season for the Suns, the team success just was not there. He is attempting to make a run at a championship with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal on the team. The concern has been that with the new salary cap rules, Phoenix does not have the flexibility to put a proper supporting cast around those three.
It will be interesting to see how Durant fares with Team USA at the Olympics, and how the Suns do next season.
