Portland Trail Blazers center Festus Ezeli will undergo season-ending surgery on his left knee this week, the team announced in a press release on Saturday. The operation will be done by knee specialist Robert LaPrade out of Vail, Colorado, who also performed surgery on injured Bucks forward Jabari Parker’s ACL last month.
Ezeli’s surgery will be a one-of-a-kind rare procedure and will require a cadaver donor, according to a report from ESPN.com. The report states that a donor was recently found after weeks of waiting:
The procedure will involve the use of a cadaver donor, league sources said. Ezeli has sought a donor for months, sources said, but because of his 6-foot-11 stature, finding a matching donor was problematic. The surgery was scheduled when a donor was recently submitted, sources said.
It is unknown exactly how long the recovery process will be, but one source said it could take up to a year.
Festus Ezeli signed a two-year, $15 million contract to join the Blazers last summer in free agency. Since agreeing to join the team, Ezeli has yet to suit up for a game due to injury.
Portland holds a team option for the 2017-18 season in Ezeli’s contract, meaning they may decide to let Ezeli walk once free agency comes around in July.
Ezeli, who was a part of the 2015 NBA champion Golden State Warriors, has career-averages of 4.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 14.1 minutes per game. He turns 28 in October.
