Kevin Durant's name drop of Olympic teammate could foreshadow grim future for Suns

The Phoenix Suns are watching their season come apart at the seams - and to make matters even worse - there are no quick fixes here. Yes The Valley has Devin Booker - at least until he decides he doesn't like the direction this franchise is going - but beyond that, this is a group that is nowhere near contention.

Which given they also boast both Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, is massively disappointing. With the final quarter of the season now staring them down, the Suns are both out of the play-in picture currently and have the toughest remaining schedule in the entire league. Not only are things not about to get better, it is hard to see how they can flip the script beyond this season too.

Durant's recent comments on Olympic teammate not helping either.

If you go back to the Olympic Games in Paris last year, the Suns' involvement with another gold medal winning Team USA roster was massive. Durant solidified himself both as the top scorer in men's national basketball history for his country, and also the best player they've ever had either. Paris his fourth gold medal.

Booker's involvement was different - although no less important - as he became the ultimate role player to help his country on their way to victory. If anything Booker's unwillingness to be more assertive in Phoenix this season has been among their biggest issues - but during the glory days of last year - that didn't look like it was going to be a problem.

Durant was recently on "The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis" - which you can watch in full above - and he name-checked national teammate Anthony Edwards as a young player who is going to learn from the playoffs battles he has already gone through, in order to become a better player. This includes sweeping Durant and the Suns out of the postseason last year.

That in itself is an innocent enough comment - but when set to the backdrop of all that has come before it - Suns fans should be worried about what this offseason might hold. There was already some speculation around the trade deadline that Edwards' team the Minnesota Timberwolves had made a late play to try and get the 36-year-old Durant.

Not only is Durant the idol of Edwards, but the Suns appeared open to moving him to the Golden State Warriors as well if it meant getting Jimmy Butler. Durant himself shot that down - although if you're big into body language out on the court - it would be fair to say Durant hasn't seemed thrilled to be out there for the Suns since.

Linking it all back to that experience in Paris, and it was Edwards and Durant who appeared to be tight, the best of friends. Booker has never been one to be as loud or outgoing as Edwards naturally is, but it was also interesting that Durant appeared to gravitate more towards Edwards throughout that entire experience.

For those who think that's a weak reason to be legitimately concerned by Durant bringing Edwards up like this, remember that it was an All-Star appearance alongside Kyrie Irving that laid the initial foundations for them to team up on the Brooklyn Nets. They say there's no smoke without fire - and for Phoenix basketball right now - you can feel the heat around the organization.