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Dec. 1 (UPI) -- The Boston Celtics announced Tuesday that they will be without Kemba Walker until at least the first week of January after the All-Star guard received a stem cell injection in his left knee. "Following consultation with multiple specialists in early October, [Walker] received a stem cell injection in his left knee, and was put on a 12-week strengthening program to prepare for the upcoming season," the Celtics said in a news release.
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"He is expected to return to on-court activities in early December, and a further update regarding his game availability will be provided during the first week of January."
Walker, 30, joined the Celtics in July of 2019 as part of a sign-and-trade with the Charlotte Hornets. The four-time All-Star and 2018-2019 All-NBA selection averaged 20.4 points, 4.8 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game in 56 appearances in 2019-2020. He averaged a career-high 25.6 points per game in 2018-2019, his final year with the Hornets.
Walker has two years remaining on his contract with the Celtics before he can decide if he wants to sign a $37.6 million player option ahead of the 2022-2023 season.
The Celtics also announced Tuesday that forward Tristan Thompson sustained a minor hamstring strain during an off-season workout before he arrived in Boston. Thompson is expected to be limited in his first week of training camp.
NBA training camps open on Tuesday and the regular season starts on Dec. 22. NBA preseason games start on Dec. 11. The Celtics face the Philadelphia 76ers on Dec. 15 in their first game of the preseason.
