Kevin Durant‘s recent workout with the squad in London put a lot of hope in fans for his return. Initially, the Slim Reaper planned to play in Abu Dhabi, but he was advised to fully recover from the injury. Whenever he returns, it is safe to say that he won’t be starting. Meanwhile, the Suns are increasingly concerned about this scenario. And why not? This may be a serious injury, but KD has only given positive updates so far when questioned about the same. He is recovering day by day, but the delayed return and his progression are growing concerns, especially for the Suns. Why is that?

Teams can pull their players from Team USA, as we’ve seen with Kawhi Leonard. Clippers’ executive Lawrence Frank stated that they wanted Leonard to play for Team USA. However, the concerns over his possible injury were much greater. In Durant’s case, it’s no different. Back in 2019, when he suffered an Achilles tear, he was playing under Steve Kerr. Of course, there are things at stake here. If Team USA goes on to win gold, Durant will have the most gold medals as a basketball player in the men’s category. Given this, it’s clear why Durant is optimistic about competing in Paris.

Brian Windhorst, who is traveling with Team USA, is uncertain about Durant’s return and is concerned about the final roster expected to be announced this weekend. “Bontemps I know that there’s this question out there that people are asking is, if Durant is out and out and out and out and not playing… By the way, Steve Kerr announced after the game tonight, ‘We’re not replacing Kevin Durant on the roster, he will be on the roster no matter what’. They’re going to set their roster I think on Saturday. Durant’s gonna be on it.”, said Windhorst. Matt Ishbia will be critical of this decision and might not hesitate to pull KD out of the roster.

For the most part, Durant wants to play, and knowing that the Slim Reaper is a distinguished international player, Team USA will side with his interests. So far, the squad has been quite decent, with the exhibition games serving as a reality check for Team USA. Winning gold won’t be easy this time, but the odds are still in favor of the Americans. Regardless, how badly does the squad need KD when entering the group stage?

Team USA is missing Kevin Durant

The rotations speak for themselves, and the squad could use Durant to improve their offense. Looking at how most of the possessions played out, KD’s presence inside the arc would open up players to let it rain from the outside. James has been the best player on the team so far, which may leave many fans wondering why. Well, quite frankly, guys like Tatum, Haliburton, and Edwards weren’t optimized to the starting lineup alongside the team’s core. Steve Kerr, who has been heavily criticized for his rotations, is one of the members of Team USA eagerly awaiting KD’s return.

Durant’s return may not make a huge immediate impact, but he will still be a scoring threat, attracting the best defenders on the court. He will be coming off the bench in his first game back, possibly joining the second unit alongside Tatum and Edwards. Seeing these players share the ball in Paris will be a sight. Until then, KD will look to participate in the team’s workouts and scrimmages.

What are your thoughts on Kevin Durant’s return? Do you think Ishbia will pull him out of the squad? Let us know in the comments.