Miami Heat guard/forward Rodney McGruder is expected to be sidelined for three-to-six months with a stress fracture in his left leg, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical.
The second-year player was in line to compete for minutes at the shooting guard and small forward slots this season, but could miss the entire season if he opts for surgery, which seems likely at this point.
The Heat used McGruder's three-point shooting to compensate for Dion Waiters and Justise Winslow poor acumen from distance, making him a valuable asset to Erik Spoelstra's rotation.
The 6-foot-4 undrafted guard started during parts of last season and his minutes will likely be now taken over by Josh Richardson, who netted a four-year, $42 million deal over the summer.
Richardson's three-and-D style should prove enough to net him the starting small forward job, as Winslow has struggled with his shot, and only managed to score in single digits through each preseason game.
Miami still possesses enough depth to get by, but it could certainly complicate if starter Dion Waiters goes down with an injury like he did last season or if Spoelstra finds himself looking for more firepower off the bench.
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