Vlatko Cancar undergoes ACL surgery and a long recovery looms

Denver Nuggets forward Vlatko Cancar has undergone ACL reconstruction surgery, the team announced on Thursday.

Cancar tore it while playing for Slovenia earlier this month, grabbing his knee after an awkward fall on a drive to the basket. There is no timetable for his return.

Vlatko Cancar underwent surgical reconstruction for the torn ACL in his left knee, Nuggets announce. He’ll be out indefinitely.

— Mike Singer (@msinger) August 17, 2023

The surgery was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the same doctor who did the operation on Jamal Murray’s ACL. Murray missed 18 months before returning this year and helping the Nuggets claim their first NBA title.

Cancar was expected to compete for a spot in the Nuggets’ rotation this upcoming season after they lost Bruce Brown and Jeff Green in free agency. Instead, he’ll almost assuredly watch from the sidelines all year as Denver looks to defend its championship.

In 60 games with the Nuggets a season ago, Cancar averaged nearly 15 minutes, scoring 5.0 points per game, grabbing 2.1 rebounds and adding 1.3 assists. He did not get significant minutes in the playoffs.

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