Thabo Sefolosha is on the mend.
The Hawks begin training camp for the 2015-16 season in two months and their guard/forward said he is progressing from a broken right fibula.
“I am doing better every day,” Sefolosha told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “The leg and ankle are feeling good but it is too early to say exactly when I’ll be back on the court.”
Sefolosha was the first player coach Mike Budenholzer mentioned when asked this month about who would replace DeMarre Caroll at small forward in the starting lineup next season. Carroll signed a free agent deal with the Raptors this summer after two seasons with the Hawks. Sefolosha, a 10-year veteran, was acquired in a sign-and-trade with the Thunder last summer. He appeared in 52 games for the Hawks before the season-ending injury and averaged 5.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in 18.8 minutes a game. Sefolosha is also a veteran of six NBA playoffs, including a trip to the Western Conference finals with the Thunder in 2012.
Sefolosha was injured while being arrested, along with teammate Pero Antic, outside a New York city nightclub in the early morning hours of April 8. He had surgery for the broken leg and ligament damage on April 16 with an estimated time of recovery of six months. That would put Sefolosha back on the court in the middle of training camp. Sefolosha was charged with three misdemeanors in the incident. He has denied the charges and a trial in the case is scheduled for Sept. 9.
Sefolosha has two years remaining on his contract with the Hawks.
The Hawks will have a media day Sept. 28 and then begin training camp with three days on the campus of the University of Georgia. If Sefolosha is cleared for basketball activities by the start of camp he will likely still be brought along slowly in advance of the season. The Hawks have Kent Bazemore, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Justin Holiday on the depth chart at the small forward position.
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