Dirk Nowitzki has undergone arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, the Mavericks announced today in a press release. The procedure was successful and is expected to keep the Mavs forward out of any on-court activities for approximately six weeks, according to the team.
As we heard earlier this week, despite the knee being drained repeatedly this month, it continued to swell and give Nowitzki problems, keeping him out of the last three Dallas preseason games. The longtime Mav had been hoping to avoid the procedure, but undergoing it now will give him a better chance to avoid nagging issues all season long.
It's unlikely that the injury results in any roster moves for the Mavs, considering the team has 15 players on guaranteed contracts and waived its final camp invitee, Josh Akognon, yesterday. But like the Timberwolves, who will be without Kevin Love for the first few weeks of the season, the Mavs will have to avoid digging too deep an early-season hole with their star player out of action.