Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said Sunday that Warren (foot) has been cleared to increase his basketball activities after a recent scan showed favorable results. "It's very good news. It's still weeks away if things continue to progress as they have been," Carlisle said, regarding when Warren might make his season debut.

EDGE Analysis

Warren was placed in the NBA's health and safety protocols Jan. 2, so making a full recovery from the virus will be the first order of business before he returns to the Pacers facility to continue his rehab work. Assuming he's able to resume working out at some point during the upcoming week, Warren's season debut still seems unlikely to come until at least February, given how Carlisle described the forward's timeline. Warren is more than a year removed from surgery to address a fractured left foot, a procedure he underwent Jan. 5, 2021.

Warren (foot) entered the league's health and safety protocols Sunday, James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star reports.

EDGE Analysis

Warren hasn't played in a game since Dec. 20, 2020 after developing a stress fracture in his left foot that eventually led to surgery. The 28-year-old forward isn't expected to return to game action for at least a couple more weeks, and while his move into the health and safety protocols won't necessarily cause him to miss games, it will cost him some ramp-up time and could push back his season debut to the second half of January, if not later.

Warren (foot) was spotted taking part in shooting drills during Sunday's practice, Tony East of the West Indianapolis Community News reports. "It's huge for team morale, it's huge for him," teammate Caris LeVert said of Warren's presence at practice. "He's had a long journey back, and we can't wait for him to continue to get healthy."

EDGE Analysis

Warren has remained out of commission since Dec. 29, 2020 after developing a stress fracture in his left foot that later required surgery. Though the Pacers were optimistic that Warren would be ready to go for the start of the regular season, he was still donning a walking boot in training camp, making it clear his absence would stretch deep into the campaign. The team has yet to provide an official timeline for Warren to make his 2021-22 debut, though more clarity on that front could come when he undergoes additional scans on his foot later this month or in early January. Even if the scans bring good news, Warren will still likely require multiple weeks of ramp-up and conditioning work before he's ready to play in games.

Warren (foot) will not play in December and will not have another scan until later this month or early January.

EDGE Analysis

There has been essentially no positive news regarding Warren's injury progress or availability for this season, which is incredibly discouraging for any fantasy managers that took a late-round gamble on the forward. He's practically a must-drop at this point in standard leagues that don't have multiple IR spots.

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle downplayed the possibility of Warren (foot) being ready to make his season debut in late December when asked about the forward's recovery timeline Tuesday, James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star reports. "I know that there's some stuff out there that's talking about a timeline for him to return possibly late December or January," Carlisle said. "I haven't been told that that's an impossibility, but I would caution everybody, and I just don't like there being an undue pressure, you know, of a timeline on this. This has turned into more of a long-term thing. He's doing phenomenally well compared to where he was nine or 10 weeks ago."

EDGE Analysis

Carlisle's comments were a direct response to a report from Shams Charania of The Athletic a day prior, which suggested that Warren could make his debut in late December of early January. However, unless Warren makes dramatic progress in the next few weeks in his recovery from the left foot surgery he underwent Jan. 5, 2021, he looks like he won't return to the court until more than a year after undergoing the procedure. Given the long layoff from game action as well as Warren's poor track record on the health front, he'll likely be on a minutes limit for several contests upon returning, if not for the remainder of the 2021-22 season.

The Pacers are optimistic that Warren (foot) could make his season debut sometime in late December or January, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Pacers haven't said much about Warren's recovery since the season began, but Charania notes that he recently shed his walking boot and is progressing in his recovery from surgery on his left foot. Warren has appeared in only four games since the start of last season, and even in a best-case scenario he'll be set to miss seven or eight more weeks. For now, Warren is worth stashing in an IR spot if you have room, but he likely won't be back up to full speed until sometime in late January or February.

Warren (foot) remains in a walking boot and is weeks away from a return despite recent scans suggesting he's recovering well, Scott Agness of FieldhouseFiles.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Fantasy managers who are stashing Warren in an IR spot shouldn't be too bothered by this news, but it may be tough to hang onto him with a standard bench spot if his absence extends to mid-November. Plus, the ramp-up period will likely take a while, and the possibility always remains of him sitting out back-to-backs.

Coach Rick Carlisle said Friday that Warren (foot) still doesn't have a timetable to return, Tony East of the West Indianapolis Community News reports.

EDGE Analysis

Warren underwent a scan Tuesday and received encouraging news, but the Pacers won't rush him back into action. The 28-year-old will undergo another scan in approximately three weeks and is still considered week-to-week.

Warren (foot) is expected to be re-evaluated in three weeks, Akeem Glaspie of the Indianapolis Star reports.

EDGE Analysis

Warren is still being considered out indefinitely by the team, but the Pacers are optimistic a return could happen shortly after the regular season begins. "Hopefully it'll be weeks and not months, that's the hope," said head coach Rick Carlisle. "It's important for him to keep a very upbeat view of things. The healing process with people is always better and more aggressive when you have a great attitude about it and he has." Glaspie notes that Warren's injury is in a difficult spot, which is the cause for the slow recovery process. The team will send him for additional imaging in three weeks to take a look at how his foot is progressing.

Warren's stress fracture in his left foot is healing slowly during the rehab process and remains out indefinitely, Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Warren underwent surgery on his foot Jan. 5 and missed the remainder of the 2020-21 season. He appeared in just four games and averaged 15.5 points and 3.5 rebounds over 29.3 minutes per game. The 28-year-old may start the 2021-22 campaign on the sidelines, but he took to Twitter to tell his fans that he is doing the 'rehab process right' so that he can get back to the court as soon as possible.