Suns forward Kelly Oubre Jr. underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee March 3 and was to be re-evaluated in four weeks.
Fifteen weeks later…
Shams Charania of The Athletic:
Suns F Kelly Oubre Jr. (knee) is expected to miss resumption of season to continue rehabbing, reports our NBA Insider @ShamsCharania. pic.twitter.com/ujimKQZBoK
— Stadium (@Stadium) June 17, 2020
Players who choose not to play in the resumption – i.e., not injured players – face salary reductions. So, Oubre might have to undergo a medical evaluation, especially if the Suns think he should play. Oubre’s salary could be docked by $1,370,614 if it’s determined he’s healthy enough to play plus an additional $171,327 per play-in and playoff game Phoenix plays (with a cap of $2,398,575 in lost wages).
I’d be surprised if it came to that. A torn meniscus is no minor injury.
Plus, if Oubre is planning to join the Suns at Disney World, it doesn’t sound like he’s trying to dodge the ordeal of living in the bubble.
One hand, it’s surprising the Suns would use one of the limited spots in their travelling party on an injured player. But Oubre brings such infectious energy, he could boost the team’s spirit in a difficult situation.
