Goran Dragic to Make Nets Debut vs. Bucks; Kevin Durant Remains Out with Knee Injury

Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash announced guard Goran Dragic is expected to make his team debut in Saturday's road game against the Milwaukee Bucks, though he'll be on a minutes limit because he hasn't played since mid-November.

Nash added All-Star forward Kevin Durant, who last took the floor Jan. 15, will remain sidelined by a knee injury but should return within a week.

Brooklyn has 22 games left in the regular season as Nash and Co. try to fine-tune the rotation amid significant roster turnover.

Along with the addition of Dragic and the return of Durant, the Nets have to work in Ben Simmons, Andre Drummond and Seth Curry, who were acquired as part of the blockbuster James Harden deal at the trade deadline, and they may see Kyrie Irving become a full-time player if New York City lifts its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for large-scale events.

The talent is there for the Nets to make a serious playoff run if everything falls into place in the coming weeks, but it's going to take some work from Nash and his staff.

Dragic was traded from the Miami Heat to the Toronto Raptors in August. He made just five appearances for the Raptors before stepping away from the team for personal reasons.

Toronto dealt him to the San Antonio Spurs before the deadline, and the 2018 All-Star reached a buyout agreement with the Spurs to become a free agent. He signed with the Nets amid widespread interest on the open market.

Brooklyn will hope he can rediscover the form he showed coming off the bench for Miami the past two seasons. He averaged 14.9 points, 4.8 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 2.0 threes per game across 109 appearances over that stretch.

Durant was putting together another terrific season before the injury. His 29.3 points per game rank third in the NBA, and his player efficiency rating (26.15) is fifth-highest among all players, per ESPN.

The Nets, who sit eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 31-29 record, should benefit substantially from getting their go-to scorer back after a stretch that has seen them lose 13 of their past 15 games.

KD's next chance to return will come Monday night at home against the Raptors.