Report reveals when Kevin Durant could return from ankle injury
Mar 5, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Kevin Durant has yet to make his Phoenix Suns home debut due to an ankle injury, but he may not be sidelined for much longer.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Monday that Durant has ramped up his workouts on the court in recent days. The Suns plan to re-evaluate the two-time NBA Finals MVP at some point within the next week or so, but they have not ruled out Durant returning by the end of March.
“Kevin Durant is doing more & more on the court… [The Suns] are hopeful that he’s gonna be back in the lineup before the end of March, potentially early April”@ShamsCharania with the latest on Kevin Durant’s injury #RunItBack #WeAreTheValley pic.twitter.com/YEUaTO8lSl
— FanDuel TV (@FanDuelTV) March 20, 2023
“There’s optimism within the Suns. They’re gonna be cautious, but they’re hopeful that he’s going to be back in the lineup before the end of March or potentially early April,” Charania said. “The goal was always 2-3 weeks or in that range. They’re gonna be cautious. They know the best time for him is playoff time, so making sure he’s 100 percent and not rushing him back will be a priority as well.”
Durant injured his ankle on March 8. He was set to make his Suns home debut against the Oklahoma City Thunder before he hurt himself during pregame warmups in an unusual scene.
The Suns have lost four of their last five and now have just a 2.5-game cushion between their No. 4 spot and the play-in tournament. They obviously want to avoid falling that far, but Durant has a history of significant injuries. He rushed back with the Golden State Warriors a few years ago and ruptured his Achilles, which is another reason Phoenix will almost certainly play it safe.