Lou Williams has been cleared for full-contact practice and his return to the Hawks lineup could come soon.

A day after Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer acknowledged that Williams has participated in full-contact drills, he said Williams has been medically cleared and is now getting in game shape. The veteran guard is rehabbing from a torn right ACL suffered in January.

“He is basically competing full-go now,” Budenholzer said Wednesday morning before the Hawks took on the Knicks. “I guess, in that sense, you could say he’s been cleared. He is doing everything. It’s now getting game-ready or game-comfortable. He’s played five-on-five. He is basically cleared to do everything. We’ll get him to where he feels comfortable playing in a game.”

Budenholzer would not speculate when Williams may play his first game since the season-ending injury.

“He is feeling fine today,” Budenholzer said. “We’ll continue to monitor him. He is getting closer.”

Williams, who was with the Hawks during Wednesday morning’s shootaround, will not play against the Knicks. He will go through another workout in the evening and the team will monitor how he responds.