Report: Rockets star Kevin Durant underwent ‘minor' thumb surgery
Newly acquired Rockets star Kevin Durant underwent left thumb surgery this offseason, per Chris Baldwin of Houston's PaperCity Magazine. It was reportedly a 'minor' procedure.
'A source tells PaperCity that Rockets leadership 'did not give it a second thought' after the team's doctors looked at x-rays of the thumb,' reports Baldwin. He refers to it as a 'minor operation.'
Training camps for the 2025-26 NBA season won't open until around October 1, so Durant still has nearly three months to let the thumb fully heal before there's any sort of meaningful basketball activity.
As an All-Star forward with the Phoenix Suns, Durant averaged 26.6 points (52.7% FG, 43.0% on 3-pointers), 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game last season. He turns 37 years old in late September.
'During last season, Durant played through a thumb injury on his left non-shooting hand at times, wearing a thumb brace when off the court,' Baldwin writes. 'The thumb injury and quiet offseason surgery raised no concerns to the Rockets' decision makers, according to a source with knowledge of their thinking.'
This fall, Durant is expected to be the top scoring option for a Houston team that is coming off a 52-30 season with the No. 2 record in the Western Conference. With the perennial All-Star and future Hall of Famer on board, the Rockets are hopeful of making a serious championship push next season.
More: Reports: Kevin Durant to wear No. 7 jersey with Rockets
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