Key players’ injury returns ahead of the 2024-25 NBA season

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.

New York Knicks

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 playoffs. New York lost Hartenstein in free agency and will be thin at the center spot, so Robinson’s health will be even more important. That gives the Knicks added incentive to take their time with Robinson’s rehab, even if it means he isn’t ready for training camp or the start of the season. — Herring

Chicago Bulls

Lonzo Ball | Guard

More than two years since his last NBA game, Ball finally appears to be on a path toward playing this season. He has been ramping up his on-court activity 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 revealed a plan about how they will work him back on the court. And they will need 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 | Guard

LaVine’s disjoined 2023-24 season ended after he played in just 25 games, a pair of right foot injuries leading to season-ending surgery in February. LaVine played in the fewest games of his career since the 2017-18 season when he first came to Chicago following surgery on a torn ACL. It was also one of the reasons his trade market stalled this summer amid rumors of his exit from the Windy City. LaVine is now entering his eighth season with the Bulls, having made a full recovery from his surgery and is among the players who have reported early for training camp. — Collier

Memphis Grizzlies

Ja Morant | Guard

Any hopes the Grizzlies had of salvaging their 2023-24 season after Morant’s 25-game suspension were squashed when he suffered a shoulder injury in January that required season-ending surgery. Morant played in only nine games, but he was on the floor plenty long enough to remind Memphis fans of the Grizzlies’ potential with their superstar in the lineup. Memphis went 6-3 when Morant played, and he averaged 25.1 points and 8.1 assists. He has been fully cleared for contact since July and enters training camp with a clean bill of health. — Tim MacMahon

Marcus Smart | Guard

As he watched his former teammates in Boston win the franchise’s 18th NBA title, Smart spent his first season in Memphis on the Grizzlies’ excruciatingly long injury list. He dealt with abdominal soreness during the preseason, a foot sprain that sidelined him for 17 months and a right ring finger injury (a rupture of the proximal interphalangeal joint central, to be precise) that caused Smart to miss the final few months of the season.

If the Grizzlies weren’t a lottery-bound team, Smart likely would have returned late in the regular season. The Grizzlies are counting on the veteran guard to provide the blend of toughness, defense and savvy they anticipated when they traded for him. — MacMahon

Boston Celtics

Kristaps Porzingis | Center

After his memorable return for Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Porzingis had surgery in late June to repair a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg. His recovery has gone along without incident so far, but Porzingis is expected to be out for at least the first couple months of the season.

In his absence, expect Boston to start 38-year-old Al Horford whenever the team isn’t playing a back-to-back or turn to a combination of Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman and Neemias Queta. — Tim Bontemps

LA Clippers

Kawhi Leonard | Forward

During Team USA training camp in July, Leonard described his surgically repaired right knee as having been “at a neutral state. And I hope it stays that way.” USA Basketball opted to go in a different direction after seeing Leonard practice in 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 working on his knee.

Leonard’s knee inflammation in the run-up to the Team USA camp was eye opening considering he did not play in the final eight games of the regular season and was played in only two games in the Clippers’ first-round loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Clippers head coach Ty Lue told ESPN last month that Leonard is “feeling good” and will be ready when training camp begins Oct. 1 in Hawai’i. — Ohm Youngmisuk

Miami Heat

Jimmy Butler | Forward

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, although 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 up after and he’s been getting workouts around the globe. The biggest question for Butler heading into training camp is less about his knee and more about what hairstyle he will have this time around. — Andrew Lopez

New Orleans Pelicans

Zion Williamson | Forward

The 2023-24 season was Williamson’s healthiest in an NBA uniform. He played in a career-high 70 games and did not miss back-to-back games through 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 his 2022-23 season, and he was able to return quickly to summer workouts — even participating in team-led workouts in the Los Angeles area in late August — as he prepares for the upcoming season. — Lopez

Charlotte Hornets

LaMelo Ball | Guard

Since playing in 75 games and becoming an All-Star in the 2021-22 season, Ball has participated in a total of 58 games in the past two seasons combined. Ankle injuries have plagued the 23-year-old and derailed a promising start to the 2020 No. 3 pick’s career.

With Ball hurt, Charlotte won a combined 48 games 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 in just seven games since Nov. 26. The Hornets need their franchise point guard to be healthy, and training camp will be the first glimpse at how Ball is feeling. — Youngmisuk

Milwaukee Bucks