VIDEO: Wes Matthews returns to the court following Achilles injury

This is a tremendous sign for impending free agent Wes Matthews.

Matthews was in the midst of a career year with the Portland Trail Blazers before he tore his left Achilles tendon in early March. The injury forced him to miss the remainder of Portland's season.

However, the hard-working Matthews was back on the court on Tuesday, practicing jump shots in the gym as he trudges towards recovery.

If healthy, the 28-year-old would be one of the biggest names on the market after posting averages of 15.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.9 threes per game on a true shooting percentage of 58.6. He's a gritty defender and a spot-up shooting specialist. But he's also a versatile scorer capable of bullying smaller guards on the block.

However, Achilles injuries are notoriously difficult to overcome. Not a single player who's suffered a tear of the tendon managed to play more minutes in the season after injury than prior, with only three (Chauncey Billups, Laphonso Ellis and Dominique Wilkins) managing to make up even 90 percent of their former workload, according to a study by Chris Towers of CBS Sports.