Suns Share Devin Booker Update on Thursday

Ahead of their final game against the Lakers this season, the Suns have ruled Booker out of the game on Thursday. The former Kentucky star was listed as out due to injury management, as the team is being cautious with their approach ahead of the Play-In Tournament.

After the Suns' 112-107 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, Booker hinted that he might not play in one of the final two games of the year.

“It's probably a conversation we'll have amongst the team, but I could see one of the games not playing,” Booker said. 

Booker's right ankle has been a major problem throughout the season. He has only played 64 games as a result of missing a couple due to the setback. Even with the number of games he's appeared in, playing the game against the Thunder might not help his case to win NBA awards.

Out of the 64 games, only 62 are eligible since he did not meet the 20-minute mark in the two games. Phoenix's franchise star is deserving of an All-NBA nod for how he has led the team, averaging 26.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 6.0 assists.

In his career, Booker has only been named an All-NBA star twice. Last season, he played in 75 games, which met the criteria for the honor. But the Suns were unimpressive, finishing as the 11th seed in the conference with a 36-46 record. It was unfortunate for the five-time All-Star, since he averaged 25.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 7.1 assists.

With that out of the picture, Booker is focused on leading the Suns to winning the Play-In Tournament as the No. 7 seed. If they do, they will face Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in the first round.