Kevin Durant has right foot fracture; expected to miss 6-8 weeks

The Oklahoma City Thunder will begin the NBA season without reigning MVP Kevin Durant. 

Durant was diagnosed with a Jones fracture in his right foot Sunday that could sideline last season's scoring leader for six-to-eight weeks. 

The five-time All-Star complained of discomfort in his right foot after a team practice Saturday, Thunder general manager Sam Presti said, and tests later revealed the painful diagnosis. The injury comes just weeks before the team's season opener against the Portland Trail Blazers on Oct. 29. 

"Knowing him as well as I know him, I think he's going to find ways to influence and lead the team in his own way," said Presti. "I think his approach to the situation will help our team.

"He'll find something good from this."

Presti said while Durant could have continued to play through the pain, the team chose to shut its star player down immediately because the stress-related injury can worsen over time. 

Presti added further tests will be conducted in the near future to give a more accurate timeline on Durant's recovery process. 

The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) describes a Jones fracture as a break of the fifth metatarsal bone, which is the last bone at the outside of the foot. A Jones fracture occurs at the intersection between the base and the shaft of the fifth metatarsal and has a higher chance of not healing compared to other types of foot fractures. Surgery is common and there is also a risk of refracturing, according to the AOFAS.

Losing Durant for an extended period would be a major blow for the Thunder, as the 6-foot-9 forward averaged a career-high 32 points per game last season, while leading the team to its fourth consecutive division title. 

Durant, who paced the NBA in scoring for the fourth time in five years, also set a career high in assists per game (5.5), while shooting over 50 percent from the field for the second consecutive season. 

It was also a historic season for the seven-year veteran. 

Filling Durant's minutes and production will be an impossible task for the Thunder, who have been to the Western Conference Finals in three of the last four seasons. Oklahoma City's best year came during the 2011-12 season when Durant averaged 28.5 points per game in the playoffs to lead the team to the NBA Finals, where it lost to LeBron James and the Miami Heat in five games. 

If the injury keeps Durant out eight weeks – the long end of the preliminary diagnosis – he would miss roughly a quarter of the season. 

"He's going to recover quickly but we are going to very cautious," Presti said. 

Durant played two preseason games after taking the summer off from USA Basketball to get additional rest heading into the 2014-15 season.

Russell Westbrook, who required surgery on his right knee three times last year, will become the clear-cut No. 1 scoring option for the Thunder while Durant is sidelined.