Woj: Nets' Kevin Durant Could Return from Knee Injury Monday vs. Raptors

Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant could make his return to the lineup as soon as Monday against the Toronto Raptors, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said Saturday on NBA Countdown.

"Kevin Durant's return is imminent to Brooklyn," Wojnarowski said. "It could be Monday, Tuesday they play Toronto back-to-back, Thursday against the Heat. But essentially it's this. It's Kevin Durant waking up one morning and telling Brooklyn, 'I am ready to play, and I feel ready.' He has looked terrific in practice, and the expectation is that he's going to play this week."

Durant hasn't played since a Jan. 15 win over the New Orleans Pelicans because of a sprained MCL in his left knee. Head coach Steve Nash told reporters Saturday he expects Durant to return sometime over the next week barring any setbacks:

"I think with Kevin he's been a great healer throughout his career. So the No. 1 thing is to get him back healthy and feeling secure in his health and his body so he can move and be free. When he's back, obviously he adds a ton to our team on both ends of the floor ... one of the greatest scorers of all time. And we also know he helps us defensively; he gives us more size and length. So he's a big miss for us, and whenever he gets back, he'll impact our team."

Durant is in the midst of an impressive season, averaging 29.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists while shooting 52.0 percent from the floor and 37.2 percent from deep in 36 games. When he's on the floor, Brooklyn looks like one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.

However, the Nets have been on a slide since Durant was ruled out. Entering Saturday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Nets went 4-14 without the veteran and plummeted in the standings.

The Nets are now eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 31-29 record. But in addition to Durant's injury struggles, the team has also dealt with the loss of James Harden, who was recently traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, and the inability of Kyrie Irving to play in home games because of his refusal to comply with New York City's vaccine mandate for indoor arenas.

In addition, the Nets are waiting for Ben Simmons, who came over in the Harden trade, to make his debut. Once the team is back to full strength, it will likely be able to better compete with some of the league's best.