Warriors don’t expect Kevin Durant to be ready for start of NBA Finals

OAKLAND — Will either Kevin Durant or DeMarcus Cousins play in the NBA Finals? The Golden State Warriors wish they had those answers. Yet, they appear more optimistic about Cousins than Durant.

The Warriors said in a statement that it is “anticipated that he will play at some point during the 2019 NBA Finals.” But with Cousins practicing on Thursday for the first time since tearing his left quadriceps muscle in Game 2 of the Warriors’ first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers on April 15, the Warriors said “the exact date is to be determined and depends on his progress.”

As for how Durant is holding up with his strained right calf? The Warriors said it “is unlikely that he will play at the beginning of the 2019 NBA Finals” on May 30 since he has “not yet been cleared to begin on-court activities.

Still, the Warriors said that Durant “continues to make good progress with his rehabilitation.” Durant has stayed sidelined since straining his right calf in Game 5 of the Warriors-Rockets playoff series on May 8. The Warriors declined to say what Grade strain Durant has, but his absence coincides with the timeline outside medical doctors expect it takes to recover from a Grade 2 strain.

The Warriors plan to have more clarity on both Durant and Cousins when they reevaluate them next Wednesday, a day prior to when the Warriors play in Game 1 of the NBA Finals either in Milwaukee or Toronto.