clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Budinger's injury will require surgery

Chase Budinger will undergo surgery to repair his injured knee

From ESPN.com

MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota Timberwolves forward Chase Budinger will be out indefinitely to have surgery on his injured left knee.

The Timberwolves announced the news Friday, three days before the team is set to open training camp. Last season Budinger, Kevin LoveNikola PekovicJ.J. Barea and several others missed long stretches of time with injuries.

Saunders says Budinger experienced some swelling after workouts this week. He will visit Dr. James Andrews on Monday to have arthroscopic surgery to assess the extent of the damage.

This is the same knee Budinger injured last season. A return timetable won't be set until after the procedure.

And the basketball gods didn't even wait until preseason this time...

Dear injury bug: go hurt someone else

In the meantime, the debate about our starting small forward is now over practically before it began (Corey Brewer, come on down!), and both Derrick Williams and Shabazz Muhammed are likely looking at real minutes all of the sudden. As neither has shown a historical trend of being the 'seizing the opportunity' types, I would not be surprised if Adelman decides to push Dieng and CJ up the depth chart so he can slot Dante Cunningham in at the 3 more often.