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Kevin Durant to miss rest of NBA season to have foot surgery

Kevin Durant: The NFL MVP was unable to inspire Oklahoma City to victory on his return.
Image: Kevin Durant: The NBA MVP is out for rest of season

Reigning MVP Kevin Durant will have bone graft surgery on his foot next week in a bid to be fully fit for the 2015-16 NBA season.

The Oklahoma City Thunder forward has missed large chunks of the year after having "Jones fracture" surgery back in October, and the latest operation will see him sidelined for another four-to-six months

General manager Sam Presti said the decision was aimed at Durant's "long-term health and stability" and represented a consensus of Durant and his representatives, specialists and the team. The procedure was termed the "most proactive and recommended approach."

Durant healed well from the October surgery, and returned to action in early December, but by the middle of February he started to feel pain again, and had a minor procedure to replace a screw that was rubbing against another bone.

But he then consulted with three foot and ankle specialists when it was determined there still was pain from the rubbing, plus regression in the initial break, and they have determined the bone graft to be necessary.

Presti's statement read: "With the focus of this process being aimed entirely on Kevin's long-term health and stability, it was the consensus of the specialists team, in addition to a collective decision by Kevin, his representation and the Thunder, that to address the setback of the fracture site, a bone graft procedure would be the most proactive and recommended approach.

"The bone graft is the standard procedure for the five to eight percent of Jones fracture surgeries that do not initially have success or experience setbacks sometime within the recovery period.

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"While everyone is disappointed that Kevin falls into that group, we are encouraged that the bone graft procedure has historically demonstrated long-term health and stability."

In Durant's absence, the Thunder have stayed in the hunt for a play-off place, and they go into the last 10 games of the season three clear of the New Orleans Pelicans in the race for eighth in the Western Conference.

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