Australian all-star hopeful Josh Giddey could be set for a return to action as soon as this week, after ticking off a major recovery step.
Giddey was briefly assigned to the Chicago Bulls' G-League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, to complete his first five-on-five workout since succumbing to a hamstring injury at the end of December.
Bulls coach Billy Donovan was encouraged, but is yet to commit to a return date for the 23-year-old.
“We’ll see how he responds, but I didn’t get anything that there were any setbacks or any problems. That was a good sign," Donovan said.
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“This was Giddey’s first time (playing five-on-five), so I think [the medical team] probably would want to see him have a couple more times like that, or at least one more time like that whether it’s [Monday] or the following days just to see where he’s at.
“They just want to make sure they’re putting him in all these situations where, if there is any tightness that he’s feeling or experiencing, they’d probably have to pull back."
Giddey had been pushing for his first ever all-star appearance prior to being sidelined, averaging 19.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 9.0 assists per contest.