According to Murphy, a best-case scenario would have him playing against the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden on Dec. 16.

"I don't think there should be too many things I can't do," he said. "At some point, you go test it. So we'll find a day where we have a good hard practice and go after it. If I'm in game shape and everything is reasonable, I don't see why not New York. I don't want to say I'm definitely coming back then, but if that's the way I'm progressing, then yeah."