Durant still plans to return next season after tearing his Achilles almost one year ago.
Kevin Durant will not play with the Nets when the NBA resumes its 2019–20 season in Orlando next month.
In an interview with The Undefeated, Durant said he’s not physically ready to return to competition after tearing his Achilles almost a year ago.
“My season is over. I don’t plan on playing at all. We decided last summer when it first happened that I was just going to wait until the following season. I had no plans of playing at all this season,” he said.
“It’s just best for me to wait. I don’t think I’m ready to play that type of intensity right now in the next month. It gives me more time to get ready for next season and the rest of my career.”
Durant tore his right Achilles tendon on June 11, 2019, while playing with the Warriors during the NBA Finals. He signed a four-year, $164 million contract later in the summer with Brooklyn, but planned to sit out the entire 2019–20 season to rehab his injury.
When the NBA temporarily suspended its season on March 11 due to the coronavirus pandemic, speculation mounted that Durant could return this summer since the season’s end was pushed back. The league plans to resume on July 31 in Orlando with a 22-team format.
Durant, who is currently rehabilitating in Los Angeles, isn’t sure if he’ll even join the Nets in Florida. After missing significant time with the Thunder due to a 2015 foot injury, he’s enjoying taking his time to rehab his Achilles.
“I had to reset and totally focus on just me and what I wanted out of this thing. For the first time, I felt like I was in my own space rehabbing,” he said. “I didn’t feel like I had to be a part of the team and travel with the team and do everything like I was playing. I could really take my time and focus on myself each and every day.
“I didn’t feel rushed at all. That was a great space to be in. I was putting pressure on myself in previous injuries wanting to hurry up and come back. …This time I felt like I was more patient throughout the process mentally and not rushing myself mentally.”
