Golden State Warriors and Team USA head coach Steve Kerr made headlines when he specifically praised Devin Booker's role in the country's gold medal triumph at the recent Paris Olympics.
Kerr went out his way to applaud the Phoenix Suns star for selfless play throughout the tournament, having taken on a far greater defensive role on a star-studded Team USA that ultimately defeated hosts France in the Final.
Could Steve Kerr's praise of Devin Booker at the Paris Olympics have been an early recruiting ploy for the Golden State Warriors?
With Kerr's praise of Booker at the Olympics comes suggestions that the 27-year-old would be a great fit for the Warriors. During a recent appearance on The TK Show with Tim Kawakami, Sam Amick of The Athletic said that while Kerr wasn't deliberately trying to recruit Booker with his comments, they were still notable in terms of future potential.
“It's literally like, let me just pump as much positivity into the guys that I like as possible. Then who knows, down the road, those relationships could lead in to something", Amick said.
The NBA insider also noted that a backcourt of Booker and Stephen Curry would be "incredible" in the wake of Klay Thompson's departure to the Dallas Mavericks, but that the 4x All-Star is currently “100 percent all in on the Suns."
Booker has played his entire nine-year career with Phoenix after being drafted with the 13th overall pick in 2015. The 6'6" guard has averaged 24.3 points across his career, including 27.1 last season where he also put up 4.5 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and shot an efficient 49.2% from the floor.
A Curry-Booker pairing would be a dream for the Warriors following Thompson's exit this offseason, along with the franchise's need for another scorer/shot creator to take the pressure off their 36-year-old, 2x MVP.
There's absolutely no suggestion that it could be on the horizon in the short-term, but there's no doubt the Suns are facing significant pressure entering next season. The franchise has the league's highest payroll, have only tradable first-round pick over the next seven years, and are coming off a first-round playoff exit that saw the axing of head coach Frank Vogel.
Booker is about to start a four-year, $220 million extension, taking him through to the 2027-28 season where he'll be paid over $60 million alone. While it's not a major storyline to follow just yet, Kerr's Olympic comments could become even more notable if things go south in Phoenix and there's even an inkling of suggestion that Booker may be available.