Kevin Durant shut down because of foot soreness with no timetable for return

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant has been removed from all basketball activities because of soreness in his surgically repaired right foot and there is no timetable for his return.

Thunder general manager Sam Presti made the announcement during a news conference Friday in which he added that “the timeline [for Durant's return] is inconsequential.” Durant has played in only 27 games this season after suffering a Jones fracture in his foot before the season and undergoing surgery Oct. 16. Durant had a second procedure to replace a screw in the foot Feb. 22, and it’s possible he has played his last game of the 2014-15 season. The 2014 NBA Most Valuable Player recently returned to practice, but sat out Thursday’s workout after soreness in the foot.

“Unless he is able to be back on the floor without soreness, he won’t be back on the floor,” Presti said.

The Thunder (38-30) is competing with the New Orleans Pelicans (37-31) and the Phoenix Sunx (36-33) for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Oklahoma City is also without starting interior defender Serge Ibaka, who is out four to six weeks because of right knee surgery. With Durant and Ibaka out, the Thunder will continue to lean on MVP candidate Russell Westbrook, who is averaging 32.7 points, 10.7 assists and 9.6 rebounds since the All-Star Break. Durant has averaged 25.4 points this season.

“As difficult of a decision as there is, I think for Kevin, just because I know how competitive he is and he wants to be on the floor, we have to do the right thing here,” Presti said. “I am making sure that all the information is being assessed accurately and then we are going to determine what is going to put him in the best decision to go forward as a basketball player.”

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