The Minnesota Timberwolves had a full practice on Tuesday and forward Adreian Payne was part of the group, after getting clearance from the medical staff. Payne has been sidelined since early February due to thrombocytopenia, which is a low platelet count in the blood.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau said Payne needs to drastically improve his conditioning, which means he likely won't be game-ready for a while. At this point, his teammates are just happy to see him back at practice.
"It’s very nice," Karl-Anthony Townss told the Pioneer Press. "You always worry about his health, and just to see him out here playing with us, working out, everything is a huge bonus. It’s been definitely a journey for him recently, but just glad to see he’s getting healthy and he’s ready to play."
Payne, the No. 15 selection in the 2014 NBA draft, has made just 12 appearances this season and he's averaging 4.0 points and 1.7 rebounds. Payne is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and he likely won't return for the 2017-18 season.
--- Nick Silva
