Report reveals when Suns' Kevin Durant could return from ankle injury

“There’s optimism within the Suns. They’re gonna be cautious, but they’re hopeful that he’s going to be back in the lineup before the end of March or potentially early April,” Charania said. “The goal was always 2-3 weeks or in that range. They’re gonna be cautious. They know the best time for him is playoff time, so making sure he’s 100% and not rushing him back will be a priority as well.”

Durant injured his ankle on March 8. He was set to make his Suns debut against the Oklahoma City Thunder before he hurt himself during pregame warmups in an unusual scene.

The Suns have lost four of their last five and now have just a 2.5-game cushion between their No. 4 spot and the play-in tournament. They obviously want to avoid falling that far, but Durant has a history of significant injuries. 

He rushed back with the Golden State Warriors a few years ago and ruptured his Achilles, which is another reason Phoenix will almost certainly play it safe.