Kevin Durant already stated that he expects to return from injury shortly after the All-Star break. As it turns out, this could happen as soon as February 24th in the Phoenix Suns' first game after the break. At this point, it seems like all signs are pointing to KD making his highly-anticipated Suns debut on the said date — against his former team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, no less.
The NBA recently rescheduled the Suns-Thunder game to a primetime schedule while also announcing that it will be a nationally televised game by ESPN:
The NBA has announced that the Suns-Thunder game will now be airing on ESPN.
It could potentially be Kevin Durant's debut with Phoenix 👀 pic.twitter.com/Xz1bkYiAT0
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 17, 2023
TIME CHANGE: NBA has announced Thunder @ Suns next Friday 2/24 will tip at 9pm CT to accommodate @ESPN national broadcast. Game will also air on @BallySportsOK.
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 17, 2023
The NBA would not have made this move unless it had a clear indication that Kevin Durant will be available for that game. After all, a typical Suns-Thunder matchup isn't exactly a game that's worthy of nationwide coverage. That is unless KD is suiting up for the first time in a Suns jersey. The fact that they're playing his former team adds even more intrigue to this captivating narrative.
You have to note, however, that it was also the Thunder who were present during an even more momentous occasion this season. This was when LeBron James broke the all-time NBA scoring record earlier this month. OKC spoiled LeBron's party that night by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers on their own home court. This young and fearless Thunder side has a knack for bursting everyone else's bubble, and you can be sure that this is what's going to be on their mind if they get the chance to face Kevin Durant in his Suns debut.