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Gerald Henderson will undergo hip surgery and possibly miss the entire 2017-18 season, according to ESPN’s Chris Haynes. This will be Henderson’s third left hip surgery in six years — he previously underwent a labrum tear repair in 2011 and arthroscopic debridement in 2015.
Free agent Gerald Henderson to have surgery on hip, could potentially miss entire 2017-18 season, league sources tell ESPN. Story to come.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) August 2, 2017
The former Trail Blazers guard struggled with hip pain while playing for the 76ers last season. He left a game with “intolerable” pain in December, and Philadelphia ultimately waived him in June, amid concerns that his hip had become arthritic.
Despite drawing interest from several teams, Henderson elected to have surgery in hopes of reducing the pain he experienced last season, Haynes writes on ESPN.com. Henderson released this statement further explaining the decision:
I have made the decision to continue to evaluate surgical options on my left hip. I have been playing through severe pain that has made it difficult to play to the best of my ability. Now the pain has started to impact my everyday life off the court. My family, my agent and I are working closely with my medical team to give me all of the information I will need to make the best decision, personally and professionally. I am as competitive as they come and want to play. I will fully commit myself to getting healthy. I am thankful for the many opportunities I've had and I look forward to returning to playing in the NBA.
Henderson previously averaged 8.7 points and 2.9 rebounds per game in 72 appearances off the bench for the Blazers during the 2015-16 season. The Sixers signed the Philadelphia native to a two-year, $16 million contract last July, with the second year non-guaranteed.
Henderson played decently in Philly, earning praise for being “the consummate pro...and for adding so much to our growing basketball program and culture,” before being released.
Blazer’s Edge previously argued that Henderson might be a solid addition to next year’s Blazers’ roster, but the surgery announcement puts an end to that speculation.