Nets' Steve Nash says Kevin Durant will 'be back for sure' next week

The Brooklyn Nets have been without Kevin Durant since suffering an MCL sprain in mid-January, but the team expects him back soon.

"Every day closer," Nets coach Steve Nash told reporters Saturday, via ESPN. "We'll see. I expect in the next week he'll be back for sure. It could be quick; it could be the whole week barring any setbacks."

Durant, 33, has missed the Nets' last 18 games and will be unavailable for Brooklyn's game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday. The team has struggled badly in his absence with just two wins in its last 15 games. The slide has seen Brooklyn fall from a top contender in the Eastern Conference to eighth place in the standings.

While Durant will be out of action just a little while longer, the Nets will have Goran Dragic in action against the Bucks.

Dragic, 35, became a sought-after free agent when he negotiated a buyout with the San Antonio Spurs shortly after he was traded by the Toronto Raptors. Several other teams were interested in the veteran guard who chose the Nets because he liked the team's chances of competing for an NBA title.