Harry Giles won't play in NBA until at least January

Sacramento Kings rookie forward Harry Giles will be out until at least January in an effort to make sure his knees are healthy before taking the court in an NBA game.

The Kings released a statement Friday afternoon in which they announced that the training staff will "focus on a measured and sustained progression plan designed to improve physical strength in his surgically repaired knees."

Giles, who tore both of his ACLs in high school, had another procedure on his left knee that kept him out of the first 11 games of his freshman season at Duke.

He played 26 games in his lone season with the Blue Devils and averaged 3.9 points and 3.8 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per contest.

Before his second ACL injury, which occurred in the first game of his senior season at Oak Hill Academy in Virginia, multiple NBA executives had him at No. 1 on their draft boards. Giles wound up being taken 20th overall in June's draft.

He did not play in the summer league or the team's first preseason game.