Luca Vildoza will rejoin Knicks this week

Originally posted on Empire Sports Media | By Alder Almo | Last updated 9/14/21

Did the pristine waters of Vitoria, Spain, heal Luca Vildoza’s right foot?

The answer will be known this week when Vildoza rejoins the New York Knicks with the NBA training camp only two weeks away.

Vildoza will fly to New York on Thursday, according to his camp. The Knicks’ medical staff will re-evaluate him upon his return.

REPORTE

Luca viaja este jueves a Nueva York

Allí será revisado por los médicos de @nyknicks a ver cómo evoluciona de su lesión. pic.twitter.com/5C6nG8ivjr

— Team Luca Vildoza (@teamlucavildoza) September 14, 2021

A right foot injury held Vildoza to just two games in the NBA Summer League. The medical report, according to his camp, revealed fluid at the back of his right foot. He avoided surgery and was only advised to rest and get treatment. It is not clear whether he sustained the injury with the Knicks or with the Argentina national team.

Vildoza only had a few days in between the Tokyo Olympics and the NBA Summer League.

The 26-year old guard didn’t score in the limited time he saw action with the Knicks’ Summer League team. But he contributed 1.5 assists and a rebound in 6.5 minutes in the Knicks’ first two games. He missed the rest of the tournament with the injury.

Vildoza went to Vitoria, Spain, after the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas for a much-needed break.

Luca de vacaciones unos días en Vitoria junto a su gran amigo

Se unirá a los Knicks en Nueva York para la pretemporada pic.twitter.com/25XB3o3CAB

— Team Luca Vildoza (@teamlucavildoza) August 19, 2021

The Argentine guard arrived in New York last May with a reputation as one of the top European talents available in the free agent market.

The Knicks shouldered $750,000 (the maximum amount allowed by the Collective Bargaining Agreement) of Vildoza’s reported $2 million buyout of his contract with Baskonia in the Liga ACB. Shortly after, the Knicks signed him to a partially guaranteed $13.6 million, four-year deal.

After spending a month with the team’s player development staff, Vildoza rejoined Argentina’s national squad for their Olympic buildup. But Vildoza underwhelmed in Argentina’s quarterfinal run in Tokyo, averaging 7.0 points and 3.0 assists while shooting 31 percent from the field and an atrocious 16.7 percent from the three-point zone.

The Knicks will have until the opening night to guarantee Vildoza’s next season salary. Vildoza will have his last shot to salvage a guaranteed spot in the training camp and the preseason games.

The Knicks already have 14 guaranteed deals and one two-way player in rookie Jericho Sims on their roster. Vildoza will have to fight for the last spot with veteran guard Dwayne Bacon while undrafted free agents MJ Walker and Aamir Simms will compete for the team’s other two-way slot.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

This article first appeared on Empire Sports Media and was syndicated with permission.

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