The Oklahoma City Thunder have Kevin Durant cleared for basketball activities in training camp and OKC is hoping that the star can stay healthy this season. Durant has said that he is not thinking about 2016 free agency and he is concentrating on trying to get back to the NBA finals with Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka.
Durant dealt with foot injuries last season and only played in 27 games and now he is ready to come back for OKC for training camp. According to The Oklahoman, Anthony Slater reports that Durant has been "fully cleared" for basketball activities in training camp. GM Sam Presti spoke with the media ahead of camp opening next week and he said that Durant does not have "any" limitations on what he can do in camp regarding basketball.
This is some welcome news for the Thunder, as many thought that the foot injury last season could linger into this year if Durant did not recover enough by September. Durant said that he has already been working out and playing 5-on-5 with teammates and that also is promising news for the Thunder. Durant added that the foot has not been giving him any issues and he is expecting to be able to start the season without worrying about the injury.
Last year Durant was playing at a very high level when he suffered the injury, averaging 25 points, 6.6 rebounds and over four assists per game. The Thunder missed the playoffs without Durant and this season they are expecting to get back into the mix at the top of the western conference standings. The team brings back Russell Westbrook healthy after he dealt with some injuries last season, while Serge Ibaka reportedly is also ready for camp.
According to Royce Young at ESPN, Ibaka has also been cleared for basketball activities after dealing with a knee issue last season. Ibaka had to miss 18 games for the Thunder at the end of the season and Presti said that he expects Ibaka to be ready for the season opener in a month. The Thunder made some significant moves this offseason, keeping Enes Kanter on a four year deal after matching an offer from the Blazers, while the team also added Josh Huestis after drafting him last year.
The Thunder felt they were in a position where they had to match the offer for Kanter from the Blazers, as they traded for the forward last season and they want to position themselves for a playoff run with Durant. The team is expecting to retain Durant in free agency, but anything can happen and keeping Kanter gives the team a better chance to contend now.
Durant reportedly will be pursued heavily by the Washington Wizards and Miami Heat, while other teams like the Lakers, Knicks and Celtics also could try. Most NBA execs think that Durant will stay in OKC and if he gets the team into the playoffs and possibly to the finals, it will give OKC an even better chance at keeping him next summer.
