Bad news for San Pablo Burgos before the season even starts. Vlatko Cancar suffers a meniscus tear requiring surgery and will miss several months of competition
The Slovenian international signed with the Castilian club this summer, returning after playing there in the 2018-19 season, and was expected to be one of the team's key players in their EuroCup campaign.
The number that defines the problem
Here's what makes this news more than just a medical report. Since October 2023, when he was still playing for the Denver Nuggets, until today, Cancar has played just 21 games across all competitions.
It's not an isolated case—it's a pattern. Leg and wrist fractures in 2022, anterior cruciate ligament tear in 2023, and several other injuries, almost all knee-related.
Last season he found himself in an identical situation. He returned to Europe after six years in Denver to sign with Olimpia Milano, and injured his knee right as the season started: he ended up playing just two games with the Italian champions.
What Burgos loses
The 6'8" wing, 29 years old, was set to be a key piece for a team competing in two competitions. His absence forces a rethink of the perimeter rotation just as the club completed its roster with names like Sekou Doumbouya, who is already competing in preseason.
And it leaves an uncomfortable question hanging: how much runway is left for a career that promised so much and has been interrupted by the same issue for three years.