As the Milwaukee Bucks continue to scour the trade market for frontcourt help and await the inevitable return of Jabari Parker, a separate matter has surfaced as a significant issue: The timetable for sidelined forward Mirza Teletovic.
Teletovic, who was diagnosed with blood clots in both of his lungs, has missed the past two weeks of action and is expected to miss several more weeks as he works to get healthy. Bucks officials stated he would start a supervised rehabilitation program this week after taking a 10-day period of rest, a process that could keep him sidelined for the foreseeable future, according to Bucks reporter Gery Woelfel.
But two sources close to the Bucks claim Teletovic won’t be returning anytime soon. They believe the 6-foot-9 forward will be sidelined for at least three more months – or until late in the regular season. At that point, it could be difficult for Teletovic to be in game shape for the playoffs, if the highly erratic Bucks would make them.
Teletovic made a surprise visit to the Bucks’ locker room before their game against Charlotte last week. Well-liked by his teammates, they greeted him with handshakes, pats on the back and words of encouragement.
When asked if he would return this season, Teletovic did not give a confident answer.
“I don’t know,” Teletovic said, according to Woelfel. “I’m not an expert on this.”
Teletovic has appeared in 10 games with the Bucks this season, averaging 7.1 points and 2.3 rebounds in nearly 16 minutes per contest. He signed a deal to join the club in the summer of 2016.
