One week after his injury, the Mavericks announced Tuesday that guard Tim Hardaway Jr. underwent surgery to repair the fracture to the fifth metatarsal in his left foot.
The team statement said Hardaway will begin rehabilitation “immediately,” but did not provide a timetable for his return.
Hardaway suffered the injury Jan. 22 in Golden State, when he planted his left leg for a layup attempt and came up limping, grabbing at his foot.
He made both his ensuing foul shots while putting little weight on his left side, and then teammate Theo Pinson and director of player health and performance Casey Smith carried him off the court and into the locker room.
Hardaway finished the Mavericks’ road trip on crutches in Portland and then rode a knee scooter while watching them beat Indiana on Saturday.
But he wasn’t present at the team’s practice Tuesday, and won’t be in the lineup for a significant period.
Injury analyst Jeff Stotts, who operates the sports injury tracking site InStreetClothes, tweeted last week that the average time lost for in-season fifth metatarsal fractures is about 42 games over 10 to 11 weeks. Exact recovery timelines depend on the nature and location of the break.
Denver’s Vlatko Cancar — Luka Doncic’s Olympic teammate — fractured the fifth metatarsal in his right foot against Dallas last month and underwent surgery days later. The Nuggets announced Cancar would miss 12 weeks before re-evaluation.
Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence missed 11 games after surgery for the same injury this fall.
The Mavericks have 31 regular-season games remaining in the next 9.5 weeks.
