Paul Millsap to miss 3 weeks after knee procedure, per report

UPDATE: The Hawks have released a statement from Mike Budenholzer. It reads as follows:

"After reviewing the options with Paul to treat his knee and provide him the best long-term care, we agreed, largely due to the time of year, that this was the best method and time to ensure his complete readiness for the start of the regular season.’’

In addition, the statement indicates that Millsap will miss the first two preseason games before being reevaluated.

——

The Atlanta Hawks will face the media on Monday to kick off the 2016-2017 NBA season, but with training camp beginning on Tuesday in Athens, it certainly isn't ideal to consider a significant injury issue. Unfortunately, that is exactly what has transpired, as Chris Vivlamore of the AJC brings word that Paul Millsap will miss the next three weeks with a knee issue.

At first glance, this is quite omonous, especially given Millsap’s age and status as Atlanta’s best player. Quickly, though, the report brightened a bit.

Still, it must be noted that any knee procedure, even non-surgical, is a giant red flag within this proximity to the regular season. Millsap was incredibly durable, playing in 81 games, and effective in 2015-2016, but he did carry a massive workload and this type of ailment could be cause for concern moving forward.

More information will likely emerge in the coming days, but for now, it appears that Paul Millsap is going to be absent from training camp for a while. Stay tuned.