Report: Brandon Jennings cleared for full basketball activities

There is some confusion over the health of Brandon Jennings and his timeline for a return to action.

One day after NBA.com's David Aldridge reported Jennings was "not close" to being cleared from the torn Achilles that ended his season in January, the Detroit Pistons guard has reportedly been cleared.

On Tuesday, Jennings, who originally announced his own recovery timeline as six-to-nine months, retweeted a report from Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago that Jennings has been cleared for full basketball activities. Goodwill reports that a late November or early December return is possible for Jennings, who the Pistons aren't publicly expecting back until later in December.

The team may get a more clear handle on Jennings' timeline when training camp opens next week, though there's little incentive to put a firm date on a his return. Players have historically been slow to return to their prior levels of performance following Achilles tears, and the Pistons don't have a strong need to push Jennings after signing Reggie Jackson to a long-term contract this summer. They also have Steve Blake and Spencer Dinwiddie to assume Jennings' new backup role until he returns.

In 41 games before the injury, the 25-year-old Jennings averaged 15.4 points and 6.6 assists while shooting 40.1 percent overall and canning 36 percent of his outside looks - all more or less in line with his established levels of production. A known commodity at this point, Jennings - overqualified as a backup but somewhat underwhelming as a lead guard - could stand to be the canary in the 2016 free-agency coal mine as the cash-flooded market sets prices for mid-tier players.