March 3 (UPI) -- Brooklyn Nets guard Joe Harris will have season-ending surgery on his left ankle, the team announced Thursday.
Harris initially underwent surgery on his ankle Nov. 29 and was expected to miss only four to eight weeks, but his ankle never fully healed to a point where he could comfortably return to the court.
"Although Joe worked diligently over the past several months to rehab his ankle and exhausted every possible avenue in order to get back on the court with his teammates, it has been determined that he will require an additional arthroscopic surgery in the coming weeks," Nets general manager Sean Marks said in a statement.
"While it is expected that Joe will make a full recovery following the procedure, it will unfortunately result in him missing the remainder of the regular season and the playoffs. We know how deeply disappointed Joe is to miss this stretch run, but he remains a huge part of who we are as an organization and while he won't be able to contribute on the court, his presence and positivity around the team will continue to be felt by all."
Harris averaged 11.3 points and four rebounds over 14 games for the Nets this season. The 30-year-old sharpshooter shot 45.2% from the field, including 46.6% from 3-point range.
The update on Harris came on the same day that star forward Kevin Durant returned to the lineup for the Nets. Durant missed more than a month because of a sprained MCL in his left knee.
