Chase Budinger
SF FA
Mon 12/9/13 5:10 PM

Chase Budinger (knee) has joined the team for their game in Detroit. He's not going to play and has no timetable to return from his knee injury. Budinger was expected to be a part of the rotation and could get his fair share of 3-point attempts, so he would be on the radar in deep leagues as a specialist. Corey Brewer may have to give up some of his minutes.

Chase Budinger
SF FA
Tue 11/26/13 3:20 PM

Chase Budinger (knee) could miss another three weeks before making his season debut. Corey Brewer has been playing well as the team's starting SF, but Budinger's ailing knee may have prompted the Wolves to trade for Luc Mbah a Moute this week. With two competent SFs already competing for minutes, and another three weeks of DNPs ahead of him, Budinger may not do much of note before the All-Star break.

Chase Budinger
SF FA
Mon 11/18/13 1:40 PM

Chase Budinger (knee surgery) put up some shots during the Wolves' practice on Monday. He has rejoined the team but is still rehabbing his knee and doesn't have a return date. The good news is that he got some lift on his jumpers today, and appears to be on pace for a full recovery within his initial 6-8 week timetable.

Chase Budinger
SF FA
Thu 11/14/13 4:54 PM

Updating a previous report, Chase Budinger (knee) will rejoin the Wolves this week but he has not been cleared for basketball activities. According to the Wolves' PR department, "[Budinger] has been cleared to return to Minneapolis to continue his rehab. He remains sidelined indefinitely." Beat writer Jon Krawczynski suggests that "mid- to late-December" is a realistic timetable for Budinger to return -- he's been limited to treadmill workouts and will need to regain his strength and conditioning once he's fully cleared. Minnesota isn't likely to rush him into action coming off a second knee surgery, especially with Corey Brewer thriving as the team's starting SF.

Chase Budinger
SF FA
Thu 11/14/13 3:55 PM

Chase Budinger (knee surgery) has been cleared to resume basketball activities, according to Adrian Wojnarowski. He will rejoin the team but his return date is still uncertain. When he returns it will be interesting to see how Rick Adelman handles the starting SF position. Budinger was slated to start prior to his injury and may take the job once he's up to speed, but Brewer has played very well during Minnesota's 6-3 start this season, and he leads the NBA in fast-break points. We will have many more Budinger updates before he's ready to play in a game.

Chase Budinger
SF FA
Mon 11/11/13 6:27 PM

Chase Budinger (knee) will see a doctor on Wednesday. He is hoping to received clearance to continue his rehab. The team is expecting him to join them soon, but he does not have a timetable to return. Corey Brewer has filled in admirably and his skills in transition fit right in with the current scheme.

Chase Budinger
SF FA
Sat 11/2/13 7:06 PM

Chase Budinger (knee surgery) could rejoin the Wolves early this week, when he returns from rehabbing in Florida. It's a nice step toward for Budinger and the Wolves, but his return to the court is a long way off -- no exact timetable has been announced, but a rough 6-8 week estimate would have him out until at least late November. Corey Brewer will continue to start at SF in his absence.

Chase Budinger
SF FA
Wed 10/2/13 11:57 AM

Chase Budinger had roughly one-quarter of his lateral meniscus removed during Monday's surgery, and he remains without a recovery timetable. This is a mildly encouraging update. Removing damaged parts of the meniscus may lead to arthritis earlier in life, but it also typically results in a faster recovery time for athletes. Given that Budinger's injury was to the same knee that required surgery last season, however, all bets are off. Until he's cleared to resume basketball activities, Corey Brewer and Derrick Williams will hold down the SF spot for the Wolves.

Chase Budinger
SF FA
Tue 10/1/13 11:05 AM

Chase Budinger had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Tuesday, involving the removal of his meniscus. Budinger is out indefinitely and the nature of the surgery is not promising for his season outlook. We'll try to remain optimistic while awaiting medical updates, but the removal of Budinger's meniscus invokes the spectre of Brandon Roy's career-ending knee problems. His absence should hand the starting SF job to Corey Brewer, with Derrick Williams and rookie Shabazz Muhammad backing up the position. Of the three, only Brewer is worth a fantasy draft pick. Check back soon for more information about Budinger's health and season outlook.

Chase Budinger
SF FA
Fri 9/27/13 12:44 PM

Chase Budinger has suffered a cartilage injury to his left knee and will see Dr. James Andrews. Uh oh. He'll visit RG3's new best friend next week and it's hard to see this ending well. We had Budinger penciled in as the potential starter at small forward in Minnesota, but it isn't sounding likely that he'll be ready to go on opening night. Corey Brewer appears to be next in line to start, unless the Wolves decide to give Derrick Williams another shot and play him out of his natural position of power forward.