Photo: PHOTOSPORT
New Zealander Steven Adams will undergo knee surgery and miss the entire NBA season, his Memphis Grizzlies team said on Monday.
The Grizzlies said in a news release that the surgery on Adams' right cruciate ligament is necessary because "non-operative rehabilitation did not resolve ongoing knee instability."
Adams sprained the ligament as he dove for a loose ball in a 112-110 loss to the Phoenix Suns on January 22, midway through last season.
It originally was estimated he'd miss three to five weeks, but after he underwent a stem cell injection on March 8, he was ruled out for the remainder of season.
He played in two preseason games for the Grizzlies, scoring nine points and grabbing 10 rebounds in 27 total minutes.
Photo: 2021 Getty Images
Adams, 30, played in 42 games last season and averaged 8.6 points, a career-high 11.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 blocks per game.
The No. 12 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft by Oklahoma City, he has played with the Thunder (2013-20), New Orleans Pelicans (2020-21) and Grizzlies.
He has career averages of 9.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 blocks in 706 games (641 starts).
Xavier Tillman is next on the depth chart for the Grizzlies.
- Field Level Media