The Wizards traded for Jared Dudley in early July to fill the void left by Paul Pierce as a veteran wing shooter and defender. Now, the team has announced that Dudley has a herniated disc in his lower back. He underwent surgery to repair it on Tuesday, and he will be out three to four months.
From the team’s press release:The Washington Wizards announced that forward Jared Dudley had successful surgery today to repair a herniated disc in his lower back. He will begin the rehab process immediately and is expected to return in approximately three to four months.
“During our discussions with Jared and his agent, Mark Bartelstein, we were made aware that he played with pain for a significant part of last season due to this injury,” said Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld. “After jointly consulting with our team doctors and several specialists, we collectively determined that this proactive approach was the best course of action to have him ready for the upcoming season and to prevent the risk of further injury.”
The procedure was performed by Dr. Drew Dossett in Dallas, TX. Dudley missed four games last season due to a sore lower back in addition to playing through pain caused by the injury.
“Although I’m disappointed that I won’t be on the floor with my new teammates for the start of training camp, I’m confident that having this surgery now will allow me to perform at my best and contribute throughout the season,” said Dudley. “I appreciate the patience and support of the organization and I can assure my teammates and the fans that I will work extremely hard to be on the floor as soon as possible.”This isn’t great for the Wizards, but if he’s back in the reported timeframe, Dudley shouldn’t miss too much of the season — maybe a month or so. In the meantime, this is going to mean more playing time for Otto Porter at small forward.