Minnesota forward Chase Budinger cleared to resume basketball activities
Six weeks after surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, Minnesota forward Chase Budinger has been cleared to resume basketball activities and will rejoin the team Friday, a league source told Yahoo Sports.
It is unclear how soon Budinger, 25, can return to the Timberwolves' lineup, but doctors are enthusiastic about his progress and expect him to make a complete recovery, a source said.
In the past week, Budinger started running on a treadmill and shooting on the court. In rejoining the team, the plan is for Budinger to continue building on his basketball-related rehab process.
Behind Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio's impressive play, the Timberwolves have started 6-3, and Budinger's eventual return will fortify a lineup in need of perimeter shooting.
The 6-foot-7 Budinger signed a three-year, $16 million contract to return to Minnesota in July.
Budinger had surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee less than a month into the 2012-13 season and played only 23 games.
For his five-year career – which included three seasons with the Houston Rockets – Budinger has averaged 9.4 points. He was the 44th pick in the 2009 NBA draft out of the University of Arizona.
