The Oklahoma City Thunder have confirmed that Serge Ibaka will miss up to six weeks after undergoing surgery on his knee.
Despite scans revealing that there was no long-term damage to his knee, Ibaka has been battling soreness and swelling for a number of weeks.
The decision to operate on the knee means that the 25-year-old is set to miss the remainder of the regular season, but he is likely to return for the first round of the playoffs if the Thunder can clinch eighth spot in the Western Conference.
"Obviously, a setback in terms of timing for us," Thunder general manager Sam Presti told reporters.
"It would've been ideal if this was something we could've attended to over the summer. But the long-term health of the player and the ability to play at a high level during the season is the most important thing."
Ibaka has averaged 14.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in 64 games this season.
Callum Mulvihill
