How long is Pascal Siakam out? Injury timeline, return date, latest updates on Raptors forward

Gilbert McGregor

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How long is Pascal Siakam out? Injury timeline, return date, latest updates on Raptors forward image

After receiving offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, All-Star forward Pascal Siakam was unable to start the season for the Toronto Raptors.

Siakam suffered the shoulder injury on May 8, causing him to miss the remainder of the 2020-21 season with what was originally diagnosed as a shoulder strain. On June 11, the Raptors announced on Twitter that Siakam had undergone successful surgery to repair the torn labrum in his left shoulder, adding that "the expected recovery and rehabilitation time for this procedure is approximately five months."

11 games into the season, Siakam will make his debut when the Raptors host the Nets on Sunday, Nov. 7.

Here's everything you need to know about his status.

How long will Pascal Siakam be out?

The initial timeline of a five-month recovery would mean that Siakam could return around Nov. 11 at the earliest, but that does not take into account outside factors such as conditioning and practice time.

The good news is that, according to TSN's Josh Lewenberg, Siakam made his return to the practice floor without any limitations on Tuesday, Oct. 26. Being cleared for full contact was a huge step toward his return to play, and he continued to practice competitively with the Raptors' G League associate, Raptors 905, for the remainder of this week.

Spawning off of those practices, as of Tuesday, Nov. 2, Siakam is reportedly set to return "within two weeks" per his agent Todd Ramasar, via Sirius XM's host of NBA Today, Justin Termine.


A few days later, on Friday, Nov. 5, head coach Nick Nurse stated that Siakam "got some work in before the game" and "he's getting closer every day."

One day later, Nurse confirmed Siakam's availability for the Raptors Nov. 7 meeting with the Nets.

The new timeline would bring him back sooner than the original reported return date of US Thanksgiving, meaning Siakam is slightly ahead of schedule. Over the next "two weeks," the Raptors will play seven more games, taking Siakam's absence total up to a maximum of just 15 games to start the season.

Lastly, It is worth noting that on Oct. 29, Sportsnet's Micahel Grange added that Siakam will still need to get sign-off from his surgeon in LA before he's able to return to the lineup. 

Pascal Siakam injury timeline

May 8, 2021:  Siakam, who had dealt with lingering issues, injured his shoulder against the Grizzlies and did not return to the game after 30 minutes of action. 

The injury effectively shut Siakam down for the season, as he missed the team's final four games.

June 11, 2021:  The Raptors announced that Siakam was a week removed from undergoing successful surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, giving an approximation of five months of rehab and recovery.

Sept. 27, 2021: At media day, Raptors general manager Bobby Webster shared that, while Siakam had not yet been cleared for contact drills, he had been impressing with his performance in 1-on-0 workouts at Toronto's practice facility.

 Siakam told reporters that he felt good after initial hesitancy to receive surgery, ultimately deciding to do so for the longevity of his career.

Oct. 12, 2021: During an appearance on Sirius XM NBA Radio, Head coach Nick Nurse said that Siakam was set to soon begin contact work and could be just a few weeks away from a return to action.

Oct. 20, 2021:  Appearing on The FAN Morning Show, Webster shared that Siakam has started practicing but suggested that he is still a few weeks away from returning to action.

Oct. 26, 2021:  According to TSN's Josh Lewenberg, Siakam has been cleared for full-contact practice and will continue to practice in full with the Raptors' G League affiliate, Raptors 905.



Gilbert McGregor

Gilbert McGregor Photo

Gilbert McGregor first joined The Sporting News in 2018 as a content producer for Global editions of NBA.com. Before covering the game, McGregor played basketball collegiately at Wake Forest, graduating with a Communication degree in 2016. McGregor began covering the NBA during the 2017-18 season and has been on hand for a number of league events.