Miami Heat shooting guard Dion Waiters prepared for season-ending surgery by watching his hometown Philadelphia Eagles roll over the Minnesota Vikings 38-7 in the NFC Championship Game, punching a ticket to face the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl for the second time in 13 years.
The 6-foot-4 wing shared the update on his Instagram account, a since-deleted post detailing the news. Heres' what Waiters had to say, via Manny Navarro of The Miami Herald.
“I get surgery tomorrow,” Waiters wrote under a photo of an Eagles fan with the team' paraphernalia. “This game help calm my nerves. BigTime!!!!”
The Heat confirmed Waiters' choice to get surgery on his nagging left ankle, which cost him the final 13 games of the 2016-17 regular season and kept him on the sidelines once again since Dec. 22. Neither the team nor Waiters had confirmed an official date for the procedure until Sunday night.
While Miami's official statement didn't pinpoint his return, Waiters had noted in the offseason that getting surgery on his ankle could take 8-to-10 months.
The Heat looked to get a $5.5 million disabled player exception to acquire a player on an expiring contract, which will need to be used by March 12, if granted by the league. If the team can't find a trade option with that extra $5.5 million before the Feb. 8 trade deadline, it can likely turn to saving it and waiting for players hoping for buyouts later down the road. Players who have been in the NBA this season must be released by March 1 to be eligible to sign elsewhere and compete in the postseason.
Waiters played all of the Heat's first 32 games, except for two, which he missed due to the birth of his daughter back in November. Waiter had a serious roll of his previously-injured ankle while driving to the basket in a win over the Dallas Mavericks on Dec. 22.
The 26-year-old had a clause in his contract that would allow him to receive a $1.1 million bonus if he played in at least 70 games this season.
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