We’re in the final weeks of the NBA offseason before teams gather for training camp ahead of the October 22 opening date for the 2024-25 season.
Several All-Stars and key players will be looking to step down after seeing their 2023-24 campaign cut short due to a string of injuries and setbacks. This includes players who went down mid-season, such as Julius Randle of the New York Knicks and Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies, as well as stars who continue to struggle to complete a full season, such as the Charlotte Hornets’ LaMelo Ball and the LA Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard.
Many of these pivotal players return to the lineup ready to play deep in the playoffs, while others return to squads that are building toward the season and still face many questions. Our NBA Insiders break down where the top 12 players are on their injury status, who is ready to return and what to expect before practice.
Julius Randle Advanced
After suffering a dislocated right shoulder during a game in late January, Randle, a three-time All-Star, never returned to the Knicks lineup. Randle and the Knicks initially held off on surgery in hopes of returning in the postseason but ultimately opted to have the season-ending procedure in April.
Randle said he is recovering well, and is expected to be ready to play at or near the start of the season. Randle’s return will be an addition to a Knicks team that is 11-1 and outscoring opponents by 202 points in 12 games played, Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby. — Chris Herring
Mitchell Robinson center
A healthy Robinson could unlock enough for what other physically imposing figures are on the Knicks roster. But it hasn’t always been the easiest thing for New York. Robinson is one of the best rebounders in the NBA and a solid rim protector. But he missed 50 regular-season games with a sore left ankle, from December to March — a period in which he lost his starting role to Isaiah Hartenstein — before putting together an impactful postseason performance.
He suffered a concussion in the first round against the Philadelphia 76ers and former MVP Joel Embiid but later required a surgical procedure on his left ankle and was ruled out for the rest of the playoffs. New York lost Hartenstein in free agency and will be thin at center, so Robinson’s health will be even more important. That gives the Knicks more incentive to take time with Robinson’s rehab, even if he is not ready for training camp or the start of the season. — Black
Lonzo Ball | Escort
More than two years since his last game in the NBA, Ball finally appears to be on track to play this season. He has ramped up his activity on the field this summer and started playing in five-on-five scrimmages for the first time last month. But the No. 2 pick from the 2017 draft has not appeared in an NBA game since January 2022 after undergoing three different knee surgeries, including a cartilage transplant.
The Bulls have been optimistic that Ball will play this season, but they have not announced plans for how he can get back on the field. And he needs to figure out how he fits into a crowded backcourt that includes Zach LaVine, Josh Giddey, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu. — Jamal Collier
Zach LaVine | Escort
LaVine’s split 2023-24 season ended after playing just 25 games, a pair of right leg injuries that led to season-ending surgery in February. LaVine played in the fewest games of his career since the 2017-18 season when he first arrived in Chicago after surgery on a torn ACL. It’s also one of the reasons the trade market stalled this summer amid rumors of an exit from the Windy City. LaVine is now entering his eighth season with the Bulls, having recovered from surgery and is among the players who have reported early for practice. — Collier
Ja Morant Escort
Any hope the Grizzlies had of surviving the 2023-24 season after Morant’s 25-game suspension was dashed when he suffered a shoulder injury in January that required season-ending surgery. Morant only played in nine games, but he was on the floor long enough to remind Memphis fans of the Grizzlies’ potential with a superstar in the lineup. Memphis went 6-3 when Morant played, and averaged 25.1 points and 8.1 assists. He has been out of contact since July and entered training camp with a clean bill of health. — Tim MacMahon
Marcus Pinter | Escort
While he watched his former teammates in Boston win the franchise’s 18th NBA title, Smart spent his first season in Memphis on the Grizzlies’ lengthy injury list. He suffered a stomach bug during the preseason, a foot sprain that sidelined him for 17 months and a right ring finger injury (a proximal interphalangeal center fracture, to be exact) that caused Smart to miss the last few months of the season. .
Had the Grizzlies not been a lottery team, Smart would have been back by the end of the regular season. The Grizzlies are counting on the veteran guard to provide the combination of toughness, defense and smarts they anticipated when they traded for him. — MacMahon
Kristaps Porzingis center
After returning for Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Porzingis had surgery in late June to repair a torn retinaculum and a dislocated posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg. His recovery has been uneventful so far, but Porzingis is expected to be out for at least the first few months of the season.
If not, expect Boston to start 38-year-old Al Horford when the team doesn’t play back or a combination of Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman and Neemias Queta. — Team Bontemps
Kawhi Leonard Advanced
During Team USA’s training camp in July, Leonard described his surgically repaired right knee as “in a neutral state. And I hope it stays that way.” USA Basketball chose to go in a different direction after watching Leonard practice at camp, replacing him with Celtics point guard Derrick White. While the Clippers’ franchise star wanted to win Olympic gold, the decision allowed him to spend the offseason on his knees.
Leonard’s knee inflammation while walking through Team USA camp was an eye-opener as he sat out the final eight games of the regular season and played in just two of the Clippers’ first-round loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Clippers head coach Ty Lue told ESPN last month that Leonard “feels good” and will be ready when training camp begins Oct. 1 in Hawai’i. — Ohm Youngmisuk
Jimmy Butler Advanced
Butler also suffered an injury in the play-in tournament. Butler sprained his right MCL in the Heat’s play-in loss to the 76ers, though Miami bounced back to secure the No. 8 seed by beating the Bulls. Without Butler, the Heat were eliminated in five games by the Celtics, the eventual champions.
Butler’s knee healed after and he has been training all over the world. The biggest question for Butler heading into training camp is less about his knee and more about his hairstyle this time around. — Andrew Lopez
Zion Williamson | Advanced
The 2023-24 season is Williamson’s healthiest in an NBA uniform. He played in a career-high 70 games and didn’t miss back-to-back games the entire regular season. Unfortunately, Williamson strained his left hamstring in the play-in tournament against the Los Angeles Lakers and missed the playoffs.
Williamson’s injury was less severe than the one that halted the 2022-23 season, and he was able to quickly return to summer training — even participating in a team-led workout in the Los Angeles area in late August — as he prepares for practice. the future. — López
LaMelo Ball | Escort
Since playing in 75 games and becoming an All-Star in the 2021-22 season, Ball has played in a total of 58 games over the past two seasons. An ankle injury has plagued the 23-year-old and ruined the start of his No. 1 pick’s career. 3 2020.
With Ball’s illness, Charlotte won a combined 48 games over the past two seasons, and now the Hornets have a new regime led by executive vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson and new head coach Charles Lee.
Ball has played only seven games since November 26. The Hornets need a point to keep the franchise healthy, and training camp will be the first glimpse of how Ball feels. — Youngmisuk
Chris Middleton Advanced
To clean up the persistent injury problems that plagued him last season, Middleton underwent two ankle surgeries during the off-season – one on each ankle intended to clean up the remaining damage. Middleton, 33, is expected to be ready for the start of the 2024-25 season.
Ironically for Milwaukee, however, Middleton was the most productive star for the team during its first round series against Indiana last postseason, and the Bucks would like to make sure that he is ready for the biggest game of the 13th season.
Multiple injury issues have limited Middleton’s availability over the past two regular seasons — he played in just 88 regular-season games after an All-Star appearance in 2022 — and the Bucks will be careful with Middleton’s playing time. — Collier
