Kings’ Harry Giles Won’t Play In 2017/18

The Kings will shut down rookie center Harry Giles for the rest of the season, according to James Ham of NBC Sports California, who reports that Giles won’t make his NBA debut in 2017/18. The club has confirmed the news, announcing its decision in an official press release.

According to the Kings’ announcement, Giles is “entirely healthy” and hasn’t experienced any setbacks as he continues to work his way back from multiple ACL injuries. However, citing scientific research into ACL rehabilitation, the Kings say that they’ve decided the 2017 first-rounder will focus on “more vigorous practice activity and individual workouts” rather than appearing in any games this season.

As Ham notes, Giles, who is still just 19 years old, is one of just six players in the history of the NBA to attempt to return to the court after tearing his ACLs in both knees. The Kings, who were already incorporating several rookies into their lineup this season, including De’Aaron Fox and Bogdan Bogdanovic, recognized that they could afford to be patient with Giles, initially ruling him out until sometime in 2018 back in October.

The Kings are now targeting 2018 Summer League for Giles’ official pro debut. While the former Duke Blue Devil badly wants to get on the court this season, he tells Sean Cunningham of ABC10 in Sacramento (Twitter link) that he’s on board with the organization’s plan for him.

View Comments (5)