Kristaps Porzingis is closing in on his return to playing in the NBA.

The four-year veteran is still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered last year. However, he's making significant progress, according to Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle, as Porzingis participated in his first full practice as a member of the team.

Here's a short video of him making a fadeaway jumper during practice:

Despite the constant improvement, the Mavs have made it clear that Porzingis will not be playing at all this season. They are keen on making sure that he is 100 percent healthy when he makes his return.

Porzingis was acquired by the Mavs in a trade deadline deal with the New York Knicks in January. The team is optimistic that pairing him with rookie sensation Luka Doncic will result in something good.

Of course, it will all depend on how good Porzingis is when he makes his debut for Dallas. If he will be able to play the way he did back with the Knicks, the Mavs will be a true playoff contender.

However, by the time the 2019-20 season begins, Porzingis will have missed a total of 20 months, so it is highly likely that he will come out and play with a lot of rust.

Still, it's always a good sign whenever a player is making great progress while recovering from a serious injury, and everyone wants to see Porzingis play again.