Good news has finally arrived for Ausar Thompson and the Detroit Pistons.

On Monday, the NBA and National Basketball Players Association confirmed that Thompson is cleared to participate fully in five-on-five practices after an extended absence from the court due to blood clots. His rookie season was cut short because of this health issue.

So far this season, the Pistons (4-7) have played 11 games without Thompson, who last stepped onto the floor on March 9. He missed the last 19 matches of the previous season. It’s currently unclear how long it will take before he can make his return to gameplay this season.

To be cleared for play, the 21-year-old Thompson had to obtain approval from the NBA’s Fitness-To-Play Panel. This panel includes three physicians: one selected by the NBA, another by the NBPA, and a third mutually agreed upon by both organizations. Their role is to decide whether it’s safe for a player facing serious health risks to resume playing basketball.

On media day, September 30, Trajan Langdon, the new president of basketball operations for the Pistons, mentioned that Thompson was allowed to engage in conditioning and non-contact drills while awaiting the final verdict. Initially, Thompson had been cleared for conditioning exercises by the end of March. He played his last game on March 9 against Dallas but exited early, with the issue initially attributed to “asthma.”

Langdon expressed at media day, “We’re supporting him as much as possible while we await the final decision from the NBA and the PA. We’re excited for Ausar’s return, but I can’t provide any more details as we await the outcome of that process.”

Thompson stated on media day, “Since the incident, I’ve been consistently working out and gradually increasing the intensity of my workouts. I feel great right now, perfectly fine.”

Last season, Thompson averaged 8.8 points over 63 games (38 as a starter), along with 6.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists in an average of 25.1 minutes per game. He had a shooting percentage of 48.3% from the field, but struggled with 3-point shooting, recording the lowest percentage in the NBA at 18.6% (21-for-113). He excelled as the team’s top perimeter defender, averaging 1.1 steals and 0.9 blocks per game.

In Thompson’s absence, rookie Ron Holland, who is 19 years old and was the No. 5 overall pick in June, has stepped up. Holland averaged 6.1 points in 14.4 minutes over 11 games this season.

The Pistons will face the Miami Heat next on Tuesday in an opening game for the NBA Cup.