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Aug. 9 (UPI) -- Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons will have arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and is expected to miss the remainder of the season. Simmons will undergo a procedure to remove a loose body from his knee in the next few days, the team announced Saturday. League sources told ESPN and The Athletic that only a deep playoff run by the 76ers could allow the All-Star point forward a chance to return this season.
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The loose body resulted from a left patella subluxation that Simmons suffered in the 76ers' win over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday. A subluxation of the patella means that the kneecap popped out of place but moved back to its original spot.
His surgery is expected to take place outside of the NBA's bubble in Orlando, Fla., in the coming days, according to ESPN. The Sixers are preparing for a postseason run that will come without Simmons, who is one of the team's most important pieces.
Simmons recently shifted from point guard to the power forward position. He was averaging 11.7 points, seven rebounds and 4.3 assists per game inside the league's bubble.
In Simmons' absence, the 76ers have turned to veteran big man Al Horford. Horford has been in the team's starting lineup in each of the last two games, including Sunday's matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers.
The 76ers (42-27) currently hold the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference entering Sunday's round of games.
