Still, Harpring acknowledges that his recovery remains a "slow process," adding, "It kind of goes up and down. Some days are good, some days are bad. Before it was every day was bad."

Harpring suffered the infection after he underwent surgery in June to remove bone spurs. It wreaked such havoc with the tendons in his ankle that he spent four months thinking he might have played his last game.

"When you have stuff like that," Harpring said, "some part of your mind sometimes tells you to give up. But the other side tells you to keep going, fight this, and hard work always pays off."

Sure enough, that payoff is set to arrive this week. Harpring's $6.5 million salary for the 2009-10 season will become fully guaranteed as early as Saturday's game at Portland, the Jazz's 48th game of the season.

When Harpring re-signed in July 2006 -- a four-year, $25 million deal -- the Jazz included two clauses in the contract related to Harpring's right knee, which has twice undergone microfracture surgery.

If Harpring missed 47 games due to right knee injuries combined in the 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons or if he missed 35 games due to right knee injuries in 2008-09 alone, the Jazz would owe him only $2.5 million for 2009-10.

Yet Harpring missed only two games due to right knee injuries in 2006-07 and 2007-08 and has missed none this season.

However, Harpring said it was too early to say for sure that he would be back for 2009-10.

"We'll talk about that after the year ends," Harpring said.

Harpring has averaged 17 minutes the last four games, moving closer to regaining his old role off the bench.

?

Briefly

The Jazz had no update Monday on Andrei Kirilenko , who was set to meet with doctors about the discomfort in his right ankle. Kirilenko said Sunday a range of alternatives from a third cortisone shot to possible surgery would be discussed.

rsiler@sltrib.com