NBA Rumors: Kevin Durant Out at Least 1 Week for Suns with Ankle Injury

The Phoenix Suns will reportedly be without superstar forward Kevin Durant for at least the next week.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Durant will be re-evaluated in one week after suffering a sprained ankle during Tuesday's 104-93 win over the San Antonio Spurs.

Durant has missed seven games so far this season for a Suns team that is sixth in the Western Conference with a 12-8 record.

The 36-year-old Durant is in the midst of yet another highly productive season, averaging 25.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.7 three-pointers and 1.5 blocks per game, while shooting 53.6 percent from the field and 44.9 percent from beyond the arc.

Despite playing in his 17th NBA season, Durant has not shown any signs of slowing down in terms of his play, although injuries have hampered him quite often in recent years.

The 14-time All-Star, four-time scoring champion, two-time NBA champion, two-time NBA Finals MVP and one-time NBA MVP missed the entire 2019-20 season due to a torn Achilles.

Over the next three seasons, KD failed to appear in more than 55 games in a single campaign.

He was traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Suns during the 2022-23 season, and in his first full season with the Suns in 2023-24, he finally managed to stay healthy, playing in 75 games.

Durant re-established himself as one of the elite players in the NBA in the process, averaging 27.1 points per game and finishing ninth in the NBA MVP voting.

He also played a sizable role in Team USA winning a gold medal over the summer at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Durant missed seven consecutive games last month with a calf ailment, and the Suns struggled mightily during his absence, going 1-6. However, when Durant plays, the Suns are 11-2.

The timeline provided by Charania suggests Durant will miss at least three games, those being meetings with the New Orleans Pelicans, Miami Heat and Orlando Magic.

The soonest Durant is likely to return would be a Dec. 13 road game against the 4-17 Utah Jazz.

Much of the scoring burden will fall on Devin Booker and Bradley Beal until Durant returns, while Royce O'Neale and Ryan Dunn will likely see increased playing time at forward during his absence.