The Thunder ruled Kevin Durant out for the season less than a week ago, after he continued to experience soreness in his foot and it was discovered that he would need an additional surgery to more permanently fix the issue.
That surgery has taken place, and the timetable of 4-6 months for his return remains in place.
From the official release:Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant underwent successful bone graft surgery today for the fifth metatarsal of his right foot, Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti announced.
The procedure was performed by Dr. Martin O’Malley with Thunder medical personnel present at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. Durant will miss the remainder of the 2014-15 season and is expected to return to full basketball activities in the next four to six months.
Durant was able to appear in only 27 games this season, and while Russell Westbrook has played at an MVP level in his absence to more than likely drag the Thunder to the playoffs, they’ll almost assuredly be quickly bounced by the Warriors in the first round.
Next season is a pivotal one in Oklahoma City -- not just for Durant, but potentially, for the future of the franchise.
Durant will be an unrestricted free agent after next year, and the Thunder’s best chance of retaining him would be finishing next season as NBA champions. If this surgery does the trick, then Durant will be healthy enough to help his team legitimately contend for the title -- which is something the Thunder were supposed to do this year.