Report: Kevin Durant Expected to Return from Ankle Injury for Suns vs. Timberwolves

Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant, who has been out with a sprained left ankle, will return Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Durant suffered the injury during warm-ups prior to Phoenix's win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 8.

He had played only three games with the Suns after returning from a sprained right MCL, which he suffered Jan. 8 while he was a member of the Brooklyn Nets.

Phoenix won all three games with Durant, who has averaged 29.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game this season.

The Suns announced March 9 that Durant would be re-evaluated in three weeks.

On Friday, Charania tweeted that Durant was "progressing" toward a return Wednesday "barring any setback," which he noted again Tuesday.

It appears Durant will be good to go after missing 10 games in which Phoenix went 4-6.

The Suns pushed all their chips into the middle of the table by acquiring Durant in a massive Feb. 9 deal in which Brooklyn acquired three players and four unprotected first-round picks plus three other draft assets.

Durant helps make the team one of the top title contenders in the league. If the Suns' core four of Durant, Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton stays healthy, they would be incredibly difficult to beat in a seven-game playoff series.

Phoenix (40-35) sits fourth in the Western Conference with seven regular-season games remaining.