Duke basketball in NBA: Update on Marvin Bagley III's knee injury

The former Duke basketball one-and-done might be back in less than a month.

Author:
Matt Giles
Oct 14, 2022 1:30 PM EDT

In this story:

Duke basketball product and current Detroit Pistons starting center Marvin Bagley III suffered a scary injury to his right knee on Tuesday night. At the time of the fall, less than one minute into a preseason home loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, it looked like another potentially major setback to the 2018 NBA Draft's No. 2 overall pick.

But the MRI he underwent on Wednesday provided a sigh of relief, given the awkwardness of his injury and the grimace on his face immediately afterward.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Bagley, a potential starter this season for a young Pistons squad, will miss three to four weeks with a bone bruise and sprained medial collateral ligament.

If that timeline holds up, the 23-year-old will likely miss only about a dozen games to start the regular season, which tips off next week.

Bagley, who has dealt with many injuries as a pro and has missed 20 or more games each season he's been in the league, arrived in Detroit in February as part of a four-team trade. Before that, Duke basketball's 2018 ACC Rookie and Player of the Year had played for only one NBA team: the Sacramento Kings.

In his 18 games as a Piston last season, Marvin Bagley III averaged 14.6 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting 55.5 percent from the field across his 27.9 minutes per outing.

He signed a three-year deal with Detroit in the offseason, with a reported $12.5 million annual salary.

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