NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday that Kevin Durant would be eligible to play for the Brooklyn Nets when the season resumes at the end of July. However, it sounds like you can pump the brakes on that possibility actually occurring.
NetsDaily's Anthony Puccio reported Friday that Durant will not return for the remainder of the 2019-20 season, citing multiple sources.
"The decision was made after Durant and the Brooklyn Nets evaluated their options after the NBA announced its plan to return on July 31," Puccio wrote. "One source reiterated that while Durant is indeed healthy, there is concern about getting him back out there with the condensed schedule needed to complete the season and playoffs at Walt Disney World in Florida."
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Durant tore his Achilles in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals, his last game in a Warriors uniform. Assuming he sits out the remainder of the current season but returns in time for the start of next season -- expected to begin in December -- that would give him a full 18 months of recovery.
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While a healthy Durant certainly would have been a boon to the Nets' chances, they might be without their other star player, as well. Puccio reported that there has been no word on whether or not Kyrie Irving, who underwent shoulder surgery on March 3, will return for the restart of the season.
Golden State Warriors
Even if he does, given Durant's expected absence, the Nets can kiss whatever title chances they had goodbye.
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