Nets star forward Kevin Durant, who won’t participate in the NBA’s restart as he continues to rehab his Achilles injury, won’t accompany the team to the Walt Disney World campus, reports Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).
The news doesn’t come as a real surprise. Teams’ traveling parties are limited to 35 people and Durant has said he’s not sure he’d want to participate in the Disney restart even if he were fully healthy. Since he now won’t make his Brooklyn debut until December, there’s no urgency for KD to ramp up his 5-on-5 work in July and August, so it makes more sense for him to continue his rehab program away from the team for now.
Here’s more on the Nets:
- Brooklyn’s practice facility reopened on Tuesday after being closed for several days following DeAndre Jordan‘s and Spencer Dinwiddie‘s positive coronavirus tests, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Brooklyn is one of a handful of NBA clubs that has closed its facility amid COVID-19 cases, as we detailed earlier today.
- Appearing on The Court Vision podcast with Jameer Nelson and Ben Stinar, Nets forward Wilson Chandler further explained why he has decided to opt out of the NBA’s return. “For me, personally, I think like the unknown of this whole COVID thing and just having a grandmother who’s 87 – she just turned 87 – and battling all types of illnesses and having young kids, I think it’s more important for me to be at home with my family and taking care of my family,” Chandler said, as Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype relays.
- Alex Schiffer of The Athletic explores how the Nets will fill the hole in their rotation created by Jordan’s opt-out, and briefly touches on Jacque Vaughn‘s candidacy for the team’s permanent head coaching job.
Kyrie and Kevin are a hell of an investment by the Nets ownership.
They will lead the Nets into replacing the Warriors as the new dynasty.
Nets hope the investment they made gets at least one championship but even that not a guarantee.
Playoffs aren’t even guaranteed. Who knows what Durant will have left after his injury and Kyrie seems to be nothing but a high paid distraction. I like the future of a lot of other teams over the Nets
The Nets haven’t won a championship in 44 years, and that was in the ABA. Their fans shouldn’t expect an NBA championship anytime soon.
Who do you keep talking about with those crocodile tears? I don’t think anyone posting here presently is a Nets fan and maybe three have weighed in over the year. I don’t recall any argument except one-way from HWM.
There’s a bunch of Knick fans here, save some of that fake concern for them. the Knicks were a disappointment. They had the wrong kind of coach.
The Nets only putzed around, their test is next year, probably an empty-arena year where it will be hard to find new momentum at home.
Jarrett Allen will fill very nicely the hole left by DJ, finally will have the minutes he deserves, so can’t see how DJ will be missed at all!
Nets are all about next yr. Need a coach first. Seems from the stories that are out. KD n Kyrie want some kind of major trade. Don’t really see it. But anything could happen. Young talent is not playoff tested. Nets windows is only 3-4 yrs.