Suns Rule Out Star Players for Season Finale Against Kings

PHOENIX, Arizona — With their playoff hopes dashed, the Phoenix Suns have ruled out four key players, including Devin Booker, for their season finale against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.

Booker, who has played in 49 of the last 50 games, will sit due to right calf soreness. After Friday’s win over the San Antonio Spurs, he expressed his intention to let younger players gain more experience. “Let the young guys get more opportunity, guys that have been working super hard this year and haven’t got much of an opportunity,” he said.

Bradley Beal is also out for rest, while Kevin Durant will miss his seventh consecutive game due to a sprained left ankle. Despite playing in 62 games this season, Durant’s absence from the final stretch likely affects his All-NBA eligibility. Beal concluded his season with 53 appearances, a number consistent with the previous year, and he hasn’t exceeded 53 games since the 2020-21 season. Nick Richards will remain sidelined with right elbow inflammation.

The Suns’ depleted roster will allow rookies, such as Ryan Dunn, who recently scored a career-high 26 points, to take center stage. Oso Ighodaro has also started the last two games in Richards’ absence.

On the other side, the Kings will also be missing Jake LaRavia (thumb) and Malik Monk (calf). However, Sacramento has secured a play-in tournament spot and aims to improve their seeding by beating the Suns or depending on the Dallas Mavericks’ performance against the Memphis Grizzlies.

“We want to get a win tomorrow, fight for a better position,” said Kings coach Mike Brown. “We’re focused on executing our game plan.”

The season finale is crucial for Sacramento, who can lock in a home play-in game with a victory over Phoenix or a loss from Dallas.

The game is set to tip off at 12:30 p.m. Arizona time on Sunday, marking the end of a challenging season for both teams.