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The Brooklyn Nets have officially ruled Kevin Durant out for the 2023 All-Star Game, according to Chris Haynes. Durant is recovering from a sprained MCL he suffered in January and while the reports of his rehab are solid, he remains without a timetable for return. At one point, Durant was slated to be a captain for the All-Star Game before eventually ceding that title to Giannis Antetokounmpo. He did however remain in the starter spot and will now have to be replaced.
Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant (MCL sprain) will not play in the All-Star game next week in Salt Lake City, league sources tell @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) February 7, 2023
Kevin Durant injury: NBA All-Star Game replacement
February 10 update - Durant is no longer in the East, but his All-Star replacement will come from that conference since that’s where Durant was selected from. It’ll be Siakam, who has been tremendous for the Raptors despite the team struggling.
There aren’t many great frontcourt options to replace Durant, but Pascal Siakam is one player who comes to mind. Siakam has put together a solid season despite the Raptors’ overall struggles. He has improved on last year’s numbers, and he’s arguably one of the top 12 players in the East.
With Julius Randle and Bam Adebayo already in the mix, there might be some backcourt spots available and the East has some worthy candidates there. James Harden, who has been putting up big numbers in Philadelphia, is an obvious candidate. Jimmy Butler, who has maintained his production from last year is also a choice. While neither are frontcourt players, the rosters can be modified a bit to accommodate the best of the conference.