Brooklyn Nets swingman Ben Simmons will undergo surgery Thursday to treat the herniated disk in his back, the team announced Wednesday.
Simmons is expected to need three to four months to make a full recovery from the surgery, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The expectation is that he’ll be ready to return well ahead of training camp.
“After consultation with multiple back specialists, it has been determined that the best course of action for Ben’s long-term health is for him to undergo surgery,” the team’s statement read.
The procedure, called a microdiscectomy, is designed to alleviate pain caused by the herniated disk.
The news comes as a bit of a surprise given that Nets coach Steve Nash repeatedly said over the last two months of the season that he didn’t believe Simmons would need back surgery. The 25-year-old former All-Star was acquired by the Nets from the 76ers just before the February trade deadline.
Simmons never played a game for the Nets after dealing with back soreness and the herniated disk. He spoke during the Nets’ Eastern Conference first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics about the possibility of making his season debut at some point against the Celtics — but he never returned.
Source : ESPN
