Aug. 29 (UPI) -- New Orleans Pelicans forward Darius Miller suffered a ruptured right Achilles tendon, the team announced Thursday.
Miller underwent successful surgery earlier in the day to repair the tendon, the Pelicans said in a statement. Dr. Martin O'Malley performed the procedure at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.
The former Kentucky Wildcats star is expected to miss seven to eight months following the operation, according to ESPN. He suffered the injury while playing in a 3-on-3 pickup game.
Miller is scheduled to start his rehab process next week and can begin to practice in five to six months, according to ESPN.
The then-New Orleans Hornets selected Miller in the second round (No. 46 overall) of the 2012 NBA Draft. He spent two-plus seasons with the franchise before playing for the then-Iowa Energy of the NBA G League and overseas in Germany.
Miller returned to the Pelicans for a second stint in July 2017. He averaged a career-high 8.2 points, 2.1 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 25.5 minutes per game across 69 contests last season.
