Grizzlies receive crucial update on potential return of star guard

The 2023-24 season has been inundated with key player absences and a bevy of health-related issues for the Memphis Grizzlies and, as a result, they appear to be heading toward one of their worst finishes from over the last decade and certainly over their last five seasons.

From superstar Ja Morant to frontcourt focal point Jaren Jackson Jr., Taylor Jenkins' squad has seen a bevy of talents go down due to chomps from the injury bug, many of whom are expected to be sidelined for the remainder of the campaign as a result.

However, some of these individuals are expected to once again see on-court action before this gap year comes to a close, including star two-guard Desmond Bane who has been out since January 12 with an ankle injury.

Initial reports indicated that he'd be out "at least six weeks" with the injury and, per a new update provided by the Grizzlies, this timeframe has only increased, with the PR team revealing on X (formerly Twitter) that while he's "progressing well," expectations are that he's still three to five weeks away from returning.

Grizzlies star Desmond Bane expected to return within next '3-5 weeks'

Prior to going down with the ankle ailment, Bane found himself putting forth tremendous efforts on a nightly basis and, in turn, saw himself posting career-best averages of 24.4 points and 5.3 assists all while shooting 47.4 percent from the floor and 38.4 percent from deep.

Along with the update on the 25-year-old, the report also revealed that veteran Marcus Smart's finger injury sustained on January 9 is "healing properly," though still has no set timetable to make his return.