Newly acquired Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant will make his debut on Wednesday night. His first start will come on the road against the Charlotte Hornets. The two-time NBA Finals MVP has been out for a month and a half due to a knee injury. During his absence, the Brooklyn Nets shipped him off to Phoenix for Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson and four unprotected first-round round picks.
Kevin Durant Injury News: Durant Set to Make Debut
Durant suffered a knee injury back on Jan. 8 as a member of the Brooklyn Nets. After the team dealt superstar teammate Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks, speculation grew that Durant was also on his way out. Both players now find themselves in the Western Conference, pitting them against teams like the Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets.
The Suns (33-29) are currently the fourth seed in a jam-packed Western Conference. The 13th-ranked Oklahoma City Thunder are only four games behind them. The Suns have their work cut out for them to close out the season — they have the ninth-toughest remaining schedule in the NBA, as their future opponents boast a winning percentage of .511.
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— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) February 28, 2023
Phoenix brought in Durant to get the team over the hump, which they have failed to do the last two seasons. After making their first NBA Finals appearance since 1993 in the 2020-21 season, Phoenix suffered an embarrassing second-round loss to the Dallas Mavericks in 2021-22.
The Suns currently are the betting favorite to represent the Western Conference in the 2023 NBA Finals at +230 on FanDuel Sportsbook. They will likely open as double-digit favorites over the Hornets for Wednesday’s game with Kevin Durant active and LaMelo Ball out.
