Kevin Durant Reportedly 'Closing In' on Return to Nets from Hamstring Injury

Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant is "closing in on a return to the floor," according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.  

The 32-year-old has been limited to 19 games this season, performing excellently when he has been on the court. He's averaging 29.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists while shooting 52.4 percent from the floor.

The Nets have rested the 11-time All-Star on occasion as part of his continued maintenance stemming from the ruptured Achilles tendon he suffered in the 2019 NBA Finals. A hamstring injury is the primary cause of his absence this year, though.

Especially after acquiring James Harden, who suffered his own hamstring injury on Wednesday night, and adding Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge, Brooklyn can be more cautious with Durant and not worry about falling down the Eastern Conference standings. The Nets are first in at 33-15, and it would take a prolonged stretch of losses for them to slip out of the top four.

Ensuring Durant is at 100 percent for the playoffs is the primary objective when it comes to the 2013-14 MVP. The team will ultimately be judged on what it does in the postseason, and anything short of a Finals appearance will likely be considered a disappointment.