It has been a disastrous season for the Phoenix Suns with the latest injury to Kevin Durant possibly being the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back. Durant rolled his ankle in the second half of last night’s 148-109 loss to the Houston Rockets and was forced to leave the game in visible pain. Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, Durant will miss at least one week with the ankle sprain as the regular season winds down.
Phoenix has just seven games remaining on their regular season schedule. It is a brutal stretch of games to close the season with the Suns currently in 11th place in the Western Conference and 1.5 games out of the final play-in slot. Durant will miss at least the next three matchups against the Bucks, Celtics, and Knicks. If he can return at this point the final remaining four games will be against the Warriors, Thunder, Spurs, and Kings. Sacramento currently holds possession of the 10th seed and final play-in spot so this could be a fateful game, but Phoenix will need to put themselves in this position without the 15-time All-Star.
While the season has been vastly underwhelming for the Suns overall, it’s not been due to a lack of production from Durant. The four-time scoring champion has averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists on efficient shooting splits.
Phoenix must attempt to scrap their way out of their spot in the standings without Durant putting more responsibility on the shoulders of Devin Booker. Bradley Beal also has missed the past seven games with a hamstring injury and is not expected to travel with the team to Milwaukee.
In addition, there is a real chance that Durant limping off the floor against the Rockets is the last time he is seen in a Suns uniform. The organization has invested a significant portion of the salary cap into Durant, Booker, and Beal but has not seen the results hoped. They were swept by the Timberwolves in the opening round of last year’s playoffs and may not even make it to this stage this season.
There were plenty of trade rumors centered around Durant at the deadline and these are sure to recenter once the offseason begins. Even at age 36, Durant is still playing at a high level and has two years remaining on his contract.
Stay tuned for more updates as Durant begins his process of working his way back to the floor and the Suns will be eagerly awaiting his return.
