U.S. men’s national team head coach Steve Kerr still has a spot on his roster earmarked for injured Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant at the upcoming Paris Olympics.
“There’s no thought of replacing (Durant),” Kerr said, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. “I was hoping he would get a game in here, but it just didn’t work out that way.”
Durant suffered a right calf strain in mid-June and hasn’t participated in any of the team’s five pre-tournament contests. The 11-time All-Star is considered day-to-day, per Windhorst.
“He’s one of the most skilled players of all time. So, we hope he comes back soon, and I think he’ll fit right in,” Kerr added.
Kerr and his staff have until Saturday to finalize their roster for Paris. Durant is the United States’ all-time leading Olympic scorer.
He practiced last week and participated in the team’s warmup before its game against Germany on Monday but didn’t play in the 92-88 victory.
The U.S. went undefeated in its pre-tournament contests, beating Canada, Australia, Germany, Serbia, and South Sudan.
The United States already lost one of its most prominent names after Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard pulled himself from the tournament earlier in July. Boston Celtics guard Derrick White replaced him on the roster.
The Americans are in Group C for the Olympics, alongside Puerto Rico, Serbia, and South Sudan. They’ll start their quest for a fifth consecutive gold medal on July 28 against Serbia and reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic.
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