Nets expect Kevin Durant to miss entire season rehabbing from Achilles injury
The Brooklyn Nets don’t expect to see one of their biggest weapons on the court this season. While Kevin Durant’s rehab from an Achilles injury has gone well, the team doesn’t believe Durant will play this season, according to Mike Mazzeo of Yahoo Sports.
After spending three seasons with the Golden State Warriors, the 30-year-old Durant signed a four-year, $164 million deal with the Nets in July. Brooklyn signed Durant to a max deal despite the fact that Durant suffered a torn Achilles in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. He’ll spend this season rehabbing from the injury.
While the Nets don’t expect to have Durant this year, his return will be worth it. Durant averaged 26 points and 6.4 rebounds in his final year with the Warriors.
In the short term, the Nets will have to rely on Kyrie Irving. Irving signed a four-year, $141 million deal with the club in the offseason, giving the Nets two superstars once Durant gets back on the court.
Irving’s tenure with the Boston Celtics didn’t end well, but he still put up solid numbers. Irving averaged 23.8 points and 6.9 assists last season.
While the team’s phrasing leaves a slim possibility Durant could return this season, the team also stressed it was taking a long-term approach with Durant, making it likely the Nets aren’t at full strength until the 2020-21 season.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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