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According to Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle, no decision has been made regarding Tim Hardaway Jr.'s surgery.
Per Brad Townsend of Dallas Morning News, Carlisle's statement is contrary to Mark Cuban's claims that the 6-foot-6 guard will need to have a rod surgically inserted in his leg to repair the stress fracture.
Carlisle says no determination has been made whether Hardaway Jr. will have surgery. Last week Mark Cuban said he believes Hardaway will haveto have a rod surgically inserted.
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) April 3, 2019
To recall, the Mavs shut down Hardaway Jr. for the season last March 21 after discovering that the 27-year-old had a stress reaction in his left tibia. Upon breaking the news, Carlisle said that Hardaway Jr.'s health is their priority, noting that he's been a perfect fit after being acquired in a pre-deadline trade with the New York Knicks.
In 19 appearances with the Mavs, he averaged 15.5 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. He's under contract at $18.15 million next season and has a player option for the 2020-2021 season. Given this, the seven-year pro will likely be part of the team's rotation for the time being.
The main goal for Hardaway Jr. is to remain healthy. This is the third time in four years that he has missed more than 15 games due to injury. Injury-prone players are seen as big liabilities to any team. Especially the Mavs, who are inching closer to building a championship squad.
