Pros, Cons of Suns' Stars Competing in 2024 Olympics

Reports are suggesting at least two Phoenix Suns stars will be suiting up in Paris next summer.

A report released on Monday morning by The Athletic's Shams Charania insinuated Phoenix Suns star forward Kevin Durant had been directly contacted by LeBron James to team up in next year's 2024 Olympic Games. 

The report also indicated Suns guard Devin Booker is eyeing a second appearance in the red, white and blue as well after winning gold in 2020. The Americans have won four gold medals in a row and are eying a fifth in Paris next summer. 

Booker seemingly confirmed this when responding to Kyle Kuzma on X earlier this week. Bradley Beal was on the 2020 squad prior to testing positive for COVID-19 as well, so he shouldn't be counted out either. 

Is it the most prudent thing in the world for the three stars to participate in the Olympics given the opportunity? Pros and cons of all three playing will be explored:

Pros

Devin Booker has improved every year he's been in the league and doesn't appear to be done in the pursuit of reaching his maximum potential. The Olympics are a perfect setting for the long-time Suns guard to work on the minutia of the game in a more expansive way. 

The Tokyo Olympics were the games where Booker's defense really took a leap while also being the first set of games where the Kentucky product hadn't been the number one option on a team since very early in his NBA career.

It's also worth noting that the All-NBA guard has been an elite recruiter off the court. The recruiting of Chris Paul and Kevin Durant to Phoenix had been a team effort, but Booker was the largest driving factor behind both star's desire to play in the Valley. Booker could act as a recruiting vessel for the Suns while playing on a star-studded squad in the Olympics.

Durant is the all-time leading scorer for USA basketball, having lead the team to gold in the 2010 FIBA World Cup and in the last three Olympic Games. The main pro for Durant is the potential for a The Last Dance-style send off with Booker and some of his peers that dominated the game for the last decade or more. One could argue the other upside is Durant having another good Olympic showing and boosting his legacy in that fashion.

As mentioned previously, Beal was slated to be on the 2020 Tokyo team before a COVID diagnoses, so he's clearly still on the radar for Grant Hill and USA basketball. Beal could see this opportunity as the last to play on a world stage, and playing with Durant/Booker would be extremely rewarding to see in international basketball. 

Cons

The main downside of all three playing are the risk of injury - to varying degrees.

Durant has played in only 137 games since the 2020-21 season after the devastating Achilles tear he suffered in the 2019 NBA finals. Since his return, he has dealt with everything from calf injuries to knee sprains. At 35-years-old in next summer's Olympics, it may not be the wisest decision to play for the Slim Reaper, even if it's only for about eight games.

Beal has only played 150 games in the last three seasons, as a combination of injuries and the Wizards attempting to tank has lead to an abundant amount of DNP's. 

Booker has played in 188 games the last three seasons, but missed 29 games last year due to a hamstring issue that has lingered for several years. Booker is a fairly durable player, but there's no doubt the hamstring will continue being a concern moving forward.

The Verdict: Although it would be awesome to see the Suns' three stars team up on the world stage, only Booker should commit to playing for the U.S. in Paris.