Four months ago, Marquis Daniels lay motionless on the TD Garden parquet, wondering if he would ever play basketball again. Now, it appears the 30-year-old former Celtic has found renewed hope.
Daniels, who hasn't played in the NBA since injuring his spinal cord in the Celtics' Feb. 6 win over the Orlando Magic, has revealed that he's one month away from being cleared for full workouts and a return to the league next season, according to a report in the Boston Herald.
"I questioned if I would play again, that night when I was laying on the floor," Daniels told the Herald. "They said there was a good chance they could correct it, but I also had to wait. That was the tough part. A lot of things went through my mind. But I just had to wait it out."
Daniels has been inactive since his gruesome bout with spinal stenosis back in Boston. He was traded to the Kings at the trade deadline two weeks later, but he never joined his new team in Sacramento.
Now the eight-year NBA veteran says he's awaiting a June 28 meeting with doctors, and he expects to be cleared to play again.
Daniels is currently a free agent. He first joined the Celtics in 2009, and the C's signed him to a one-year extension in 2010 worth about $2.4 million. With his contract expiring again, he may have a chance to return to Boston next season.
