Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant won’t suit up for this year’s NBA All-Star Game in Salt Lake City this Feb. 19, per Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes. This marks the third-straight year that he won’t be available for the festivities amid eligibility to participate.
Durant remains out for the Nets after sustaining a right knee injury last Jan. 8 against the Miami Heat. An MRI further concluded that he has an isolated MCL sprain.
Nets Head coach Jacque Vaughn addressed the media on Tuesday and noted that Durant isn’t expected to return until the All-Star break, with a clear timetable of his availability yet to be determined.
In his impending return soon, Durant will play with a different Brooklyn team, as his star partner Kyrie Irving as well as Markieff Morris left the club and went on to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith and draft considerations.
Durant is averaging 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 39 games this season. He is shooting 55.9 percent from the field – a career best.
As such, the NBA will pick Durant’s replacement from the Eastern Conference, with Toronto Raptors star forward Pascal Siakam a solid candidate to fill his shoes.
