Suns forward Kelly Oubre has been diagnosed with a torn meniscus after undergoing an exam on his injured right knee today, sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. Oubre is in the process of seeking a second opinion from a specialist, Haynes adds.
There are multiple ways to treat meniscus tears, so a recovery timeline for Oubre will depend on the extent of the tear and what sort of treatment he requires. Still, the recovery period for the injury is typically measured in weeks or months, rather than days — Zion Williamson missed the first half of 2019/20 after undergoing meniscus surgery, for instance. It’s possible the injury will bring Oubre’s season to an early end.
Oubre, 24, was acquired from the Wizards by the Suns during the 2018/19 season, then signed a two-year, $30MM deal with Phoenix last summer. He was in the midst of a career year in 2019/20, with 18.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.3 SPG, and a .452/.352/.780 shooting line in 56 games (34.5 MPG).
While the Suns haven’t confirmed the report of a torn meniscus, Oubre’s teammates were talking on Wednesday as if the knee injury wasn’t just a day-to-day issue, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic writes.
“It’s tough when you see one of your guys go down,” Aron Baynes said after Wednesday’s game. “Right now, he’s got to do the right thing for him because he needs to be able to come back whenever that is in the right shape to contribute and do what he’s done for us all season long. We all feel for him and whatever he needs to do to take care of himself right now, he’s got everyone’s support.”
Dario Saric started in Oubre’s place on Wednesday and figures to see his role increase going forward. Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson are among the team’s other top candidates for a bump in minutes.
Very unfortunate. I didn’t have high regards for him coming into the league, but he was quietly establishing himself as a legitimate starter.
If this means the end of Kelly’s season, what a great season it was minus the knee injury. He really came into his own this year, and was one of the more exciting players to watch. Hopefully this is just a minor hiccup. With the timing of this injury and the season seemingly coming to a close for the Suns, this actually isn’t the worst time for Kelly’s injury. Even if he goes the surgical route, he should have more than enough time to recover and be 100% by the start of training camp next season. Good luck KO!
Oh no! I guess the playoffs are 100% out of reach now!