Thunder’s Kevin Durant removed from all basketball activities
Oklahoma City Thunder star forward Kevin Durant has been removed from basketball activities and could end up being shut down for the season because of persistent foot soreness.
Thunder general manager Sam Presti made the announcement Friday.
“We’ve made the decision to remove him from basketball activities. He’s not making the progress that we’d hoped or expected,” Presti said.
Presti was then asked if Durant was being shut down for the remainder of the season.
“Essentially, that’s the direction we’re headed right now,” Presti said.
The 26-year-old Durant was held out of practice Thursday after “experiencing a little bit of soreness,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said Thursday.
Up to that point, the Thunder thought the reigning league MVP was getting better.
“Unless he’s able to be back on the floor without soreness, he won’t be back on the floor,” Presti said.
Durant underwent a small procedure last month to help alleviate pain on his surgically repaired right foot. Durant had surgery in October to repair a fracture in his right foot. The original screw that was set in Durant’s fifth metatarsal (the long bone on the outside of his foot) was rubbing against his cuboid bone, producing soreness.
Durant is averaging 25.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 27 games this season. If he fails to return to the floor, he will have missed a total of 45 games with the injury.
The Thunder, who are 38-30 and hold a one-game lead for the eighth spot in the Western Conference, host the Eastern Conference-leading Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.
