Pelicans' Quincy Pondexter: Expected to be healthy for training camp

Pondexter said Saturday that he expects the "cartilage replacement" procedure he underwent on his left knee in January will provide a "permanent fix" to the problems that have plagued him the last two seasons, ESPN.com's Justin Verrier.

After undergoing arthroscopic surgery on the knee following the Pelicans' postseason series loss to the Warriors last May, Pondexter was sidelined for the first half of the 2015-16 campaign, but was expected to debut at some point in January. That never materialized, however, as Pondexter's knee didn't respond to contact work as well as the Pelicans had hoped, forcing the forward to go under the knife a second time. Pondexter said that the new technique his surgeons utilized on the second procedure should remedy his knee issues, as he's already noticing plenty of progress in his recovery. The 28-year-old expects to be 100 percent healthy by the time training camp for the upcoming season begins in the fall.