Gary Harris, who averaged 11.1 points on 43.4% shooting in 61 appearances last season, likely will be sidelined for the start of the Magic's training camp. (Phelan M. Ebenhack, AP)
Orlando Magic guard Gary Harris had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee after tearing his meniscus, a league source told the Orlando Sentinel on Thursday.
The Magic announced Harris had surgery after the Sentinel’s reporting. The procedure took place Wednesday.
His return to play will depend on how he responds to rehabilitation and treatment, according to the Magic.
An arthroscopic meniscectomy is “a minimally invasive surgical procedure” that’s used to treat a torn meniscus cartilage in which only the torn segment is removed, according to the Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine at the University of Washington.
Daniel Kharrazi, an orthopedic surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles, told the Sentinel a meniscectomy is a “very common procedure,” adding it generally can take up to two months for an athlete to return.
“Think of the meniscus as a cushion between the bones and joints that gives you padding,” Kharrazi said. “When that tears, it creates inflammation and pain inside the knee. In professional players, if it creates symptoms, we recommend arthroscopically fixing it so it can go back to normal.
“The main issue is the rehab [post-operation]. It’s a common procedure, the rehab is fairly straightforward and the rebound period back to health and activity is generally within 6-8 weeks.”
Nirav Pandya, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist within the University of California San Francisco Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, tweeted an arthroscopic meniscectomy is a surgical option typically chosen for small tears in the meniscus and that most players return in 6-8 weeks.
Brian Sutterer, a physiatrist in Rochester, Minn. who’s affiliated with Mayo Clinic, tweeted that a meniscectomy means the torn piece was trimmed/smoothed out, adding the typical recovery can be 4-6 weeks.
Harris, who was on an expiring contract for 2021-22 that paid him $20.5 million, signed a 2-year, $26 million extension to return to Orlando before free agency officially started July 1.
He has a $13 million, fully-guaranteed salary for the 2022-23 season and a $13 million non-guaranteed salary for 2023-24. His 2023-24 salary becomes fully guaranteed after June 30, 2023.
Harris finished the season averaging 11.1 points on 43.4% shooting from the field and 38.4% shooting on 3s for a 53.9% effective field goal percentage — a formula that adjusts for 3-pointers being worth more than 2-pointers.
He’s coming off his healthiest season in a few years, appearing in 61 games, the most he’s played in a season since 2017-18. His eFG% was the highest it has been since then, too.
Once he returns, Harris is expected to compete for minutes in a backcourt that’ll include Cole Anthony, Markelle Fultz, Jalen Suggs, R.J. Hampton and Devin Cannady.
Orlando opens training camp on Sept. 27.
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Khobi Price at khprice@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @khobi_price.
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Originally published at Tribune News Service