NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has confirmed Kevin Durant is clear to take the court the court for the Brooklyn Nets if he’s healthy.
Durant joined the Nets last summer following a three-year spell with the Golden State Warriors. The organization signed him knowing full well he would likely forego the 2019/20 season as a result of the Achilles injury he suffered during the Finals against the Toronto Raptors. However, given the season is going further into the year than planned due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he could fashion a return when the season restarts in Orlando.
Silver spoke to the cast of Inside the NBA (H/T Yahoo Sports) on Thursday night – following the news of the league’s Board of Governors approving a 22-team format for the resumption of the campaign – and indicated that Durant can play if he’s fit enough to suit up for his team.
He said:
“We’re gonna allow it. And I’d only say, Charles [Barkley], that this has been the back-and-forth with our teams. There’s so much here that’s not fair, and we’re choosing among multiple bad alternatives given the (coronavirus) pandemic we’re dealing with. … I think, ultimately, to the extent a team has a healthy roster and those players are able to come back, they are eligible to play.”
Odds On The Nets Winning The Title Have Been Slashed Due To The Possibility of Kevin Durant Returning
Caesars Sportsbook slashed odds on the Nets title-winning chances from 750-1 to 60-1 ahead of the announcement pertaining to the approval, purely based on the fact that both Durant and Kyrie Irving could return to playing when the NBA resumes next month. Irving had arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder in February and hasn’t played since then.
The Nets occupied the seventh berth in the Eastern Conference before the NBA shut down the season on March 11.
