Nuggets forward Vlatko Cancar underwent arthroscopic surgery in his left knee and will be reevaluated in eight weeks, the team announced Wednesday.
Cancar, 27, missed the entire 2023-24 season with a torn ACL in his left knee. He returned from the injury this summer, playing for the Slovenian national team and then re-signing with the Nuggets on a one-year veteran minimum contract.
Cancar was in Denver’s rotation as a backup center, filling in while Nikola Jokic was away from the team, when he landed awkwardly after a driving dunk Nov. 19 in Memphis. Cancar immediately struggled to put weight on his left leg and asked for a substitution. At the time, the injury was designated as a sprained knee.
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But in the days and weeks that followed, Cancar began to seek medical opinions on the best path forward, according to coach Michael Malone. Arthroscopic surgery is generally considered a less invasive form of procedure, one that doesn’t necessarily have to be season-ending for professional athletes.
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