Terrence Shannon Jr. Sustained An Apparent Toe Injury

Zachary Draves | Jul 19, 2024

Mar 23, 2024; Omaha, NE, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Terrence Shannon Jr. (0) looks on against the Duquesne Dukes during the second half in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at CHI Health Center Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports / Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

After only seven minutes of play, former Illini player and Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Terrence Shannon Jr. had to leave their last NBA Las Vegas Summer League game against the Houston Rockets due to a reported toe injury.

He left the game with only a rebound.

Despite his absence, the Timberwolves won the game 93-83.

The extent of his injury remains unknown. The Timberwolves finished the league with a record of 3-1, in which Shannon Jr. was arguably the best player.

He averaged 17.7 points, shot around 60 percent from the field, and played at least 30 minutes per game.

Shannon Jr. demonstrated himself to be at least NBA ready throughout this period. He has received high praise from his teammates and head coach Chris Finch.

The Timberwolves await a potential appearance in the summer league playoffs. The need either the 3-0 Heat, Warriors, or Spurs to lose their remaining games to set up a tiebreaker.

If they win the tiebreaker they advance. If not, they will still get a chance to play Saturday or Sunday.

The potential of Shannon Jr. playing in that scenario remains unknown.

The good news for Shannon Jr. is that the NBA season doesn't start until late October, so there is plenty of time for him to recover.

The hope is the injury isn't severe enough to where it would put off his official debut.

Zachary Draves is a contributor to IlliniNow. He can be reached at zdraves1013@gmail.com and on Instagram @zdraves0633.