We’re in the final weeks of the NBA offseason before teams convene for training camp ahead of the Oct. 22 opening date for the 2024-25 season.
Several All-Stars and key players will be looking to bounce back after seeing their 2023-24 campaigns mitigated because of an array of injuries and continuous setbacks. That includes players who went down at midseason, such as the New York Knicks‘ Julius Randle and the Memphis Grizzlies‘ Ja Morant, as well as stars who have continually struggled 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 lineups poised to make deep playoff runs, while others return to squads that are building toward the future and still face plenty of questions. Our NBA Insiders broke down where 12 key players stand on the status of their injuries, who is primed to make a notable return and what to expect ahead of training camp.
Julius Randle | Forward
After suffering a dislocated right shoulder during a game in late January, Randle, a three-time All-Star forward, never returned to the Knicks’ lineup. Randle and the Knicks initially held off on surgery with the hope he could make it back for the postseason but eventually opted for him to have a season-ending procedure in April.
Randle said his recovery is going well, and he’s expected to be ready to play by or near the start of the season. Randle’s return will be a welcome addition to a Knicks team that went 11-1 and outscored opponents by 202 points in the 12 games he, Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby played in. — Chris Herring
Mitchell Robinson | Center
A healthy Robinson can unlock quite a bit for what figures to be another physically imposing Knicks roster. But that hasn’t always been the easiest thing for New York. Robinson is perennially one of the NBA’s best offensive rebounders and a solid rim protector. But he missed 50 regular-season games because of a left-ankle pain, from December to March — a span in which he lost his starting role to Isaiah Hartenstein — before piecing together an impactful postseason showing.
He gutted through pain to play in the first round against the Philadelphia 76ers and former MVP Joel Embiid but then needed a surgical procedure on his left ankle and was ruled out for the remainder of the…
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