Kevin Durant will miss at least three weeks with an ankle sprain, the Suns announced Thursday. Durant sprained his left ankle before what was meant to be his home debut with Phoenix on Wednesday. According to the Suns, KD will be reevaluated in three weeks before his potential return. Here are three thoughts on Durant’s upcoming absence …
Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports
1. This is the new normal. I was bullish on the Suns’ chances as title contenders when they acquired KD, his injury history notwithstanding. And Phoenix should obviously still have made the trade 100 out of 100 times. The reality, though, is Durant should be expected to miss time every year over the life of his contract, which has three seasons remaining. KD has not played anything close to a full season since 2019. Since then, he’s torn his Achilles, and missed time due to hamstring and multiple knee injuries. It’s the risk Phoenix took on in gaining the former MVP, and it’s a worthy one. Durant being able to stay healthy enough to play four consecutive playoff rounds is a legitimate question, however. And this latest malady, which took place in warmups, is concerning for Phoenix’s title hopes this season and beyond.
