According to Chris Haynes of ESPN, Free agent Guard Gerald Henderson will undergo hip surgery and miss the entire 2017-18 season.
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
Henderson released the following statement, also thanks to Chris B Haynes.
“Despite receiving genuine interest from several NBA teams, 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.”
The shooting guard’s career averages are solid, 11.2 points per game 3 rebounds and 2 assists. His services certainly could be used on a younger team that seeks veteran leadership. This injury delivers a huge blow to Henderson and any of the teams pursuing him.
Henderson spent last season on the Philadelphia 76ers where he averaged 9.2 Points per game. The Sixers waived the 29-year-old veteran just a month ago. The guard was drawing interest from multiple teams as an impact veteran off the bench. However, it will be difficult for the 9-year vet to draw any real interest due to his latest injury.
If Henderson can fully recover from this hip injury, he will undoubtedly be able to draw some sort of interest from teams who seek a player of his caliber. NBA teams do not undervalue postseason experience as Henderson has played a career 15 postseason games which will go a long way when he attempts a return to basketball.
In the 2018 NBA Offseason, don’t be surprised if you see Gerald Henderson returning to the NBA. Players have come back from injuries much bigger than this.
