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The Brooklyn Nets announced today that after a routine MRI on Kevin Durant’s left hamstring, they’re holding him out through the All-Star break. The Indiana Pacers’ Domantas Sabonis will replace him on the Eastern Conference roster.
By virtue of being the East’s highest vote getter, Durant was one of the team captains along with LeBron James out West. While Durant’s replacement as captain is still up in the air, the league has announced that Jayson Tatum will be a starter in next month’s midsummer classic.
Per the NBA, Tatum takes over for KD because he was the highest ranked player in the same conference at the same position group. Tatum finished 4th in the frontcourt with 2,295,299 fan votes behind Joel Embiid’s 4,171,690.
This is Tatum’s second consecutive trip to the All-Star Game. The 22-year-old is averaging 25.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in his fourth season. This year, the festivities are all on March 7th in Atlanta and Tatum will be joined by Jaylen Brown.