Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant will be out for the rest of the season due to having surgery on his right foot.
In February Durant had surgery to alleviate soreness and discomfort in his right foot that was caused by a screw that was inserted in October during a procedure to repair a Jones fracture. After the second surgery Durant was re-evaluated and was expected to return in a week or two. Durant was still dealing with soreness after he returned. The fracture was healing “excellently” after the second surgery according to Thunder general manager Sam Presti, but Durant was removed from team activities due to the soreness. Further evaluation showed signs of regression with the fracture and as a result Durant will have bone graft surgery and he will return to basketball activities in four to six months, according to ESPN. The surgery will happen next week.
"With the focus of this process being aimed entirely on Kevin's long-term health and stability, it was the consensus of the specialists team, in addition to a collective decision by Kevin, his representation and the Thunder, that to address the setback of the fracture site, a bone graft procedure would be the most proactive and recommended approach," Presti said in a statement. "The bone graft is the standard procedure for the five to eight percent of Jones fracture surgeries that do not initially have success or experience setbacks sometime within the recovery period."
Durant is the reigning NBA MVP. This season he averaged 25.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in 27 games, according to USA Today. He has led the NBA in points the last five years.
Durant isn’t the only Thunder player that is out. Power forward Serge Ibaka is also out. The Thunder are currently 41-31 and in eighth place in the Western Conference.