Report: Chandler Parsons to undergo season-ending meniscus surgery
An MRI on Monday revealed that Dallas Mavericks forward Chandler Parsons has a torn meniscus in his right knee, and he is expected to undergo season-ending arthroscopic surgery this week, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon.
Parsons had been dealing with a sore right hamstring, which forced him to leave Friday's game against the Golden State Warriors and sit out Sunday against the Portland Trail Blazers. The MRI showed the torn meniscus to be the cause of the hamstring soreness.
Parsons will reportedly receive a second opinion before scheduling the procedure, however, and a source told The Associated Press that he could return this season even after surgery.
If he does wind up going through with it, this will be his second significant right knee operation in the past year. He had a "minor hybrid" microfracture surgery to repair cartilage damage after the Mavericks were eliminated from the playoffs in May.
That procedure, though, robbed him of the entire offseason - including training camp and preseason - and limited his effectiveness for the first two months of the 2015-16 campaign. The injury this time is not considered nearly as serious, and Parsons is expected to be fully recovered in time to resume his regular offseason basketball workout routine, sources told MacMahon.
It's still a disappointing end to a season that had recently begun to bear fruit for the 27-year-old. After a grueling six-month rehab, and a shaky return that came with a strict minutes limit (he didn't score more than 20 points in a game until the calendar flipped to 2016), Parsons rounded into form and started playing some of the best ball of his career.
In 25 games before suffering the injury, he averaged 19.2 points, six rebounds, and 3.4 assists, while shooting 51.9 percent from the field and 46.8 percent from 3-point range.
Parsons can opt out of the final year of his deal with the Mavs and become an unrestricted free agent this summer. It's unclear how or if this latest injury will affect his market, but it hasn't changed his intention to opt out, MacMahon reports.
The Florida native is expected to be pursued aggressively by the Orlando Magic, among other teams, though the Mavs have been steadfast in their desire to re-sign him.