Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash announced that sharpshooter Joe Harris will undergo ankle surgery on Monday, according to Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. There's apparently an issue with a bone particle in the ankle, and the surgery will address it.
While the Nets haven't announced a firm timetable yet on Harris' recovery, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports an expected absence of four to eight weeks, per agent Mark Bartelstein. There's some optimism that Harris will return toward the earlier end of that timeline.
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)*
Harris hadn't played since Nov. 14 because of the injury. The Nets were hoping that the ankle would heal with some rest, but it was determined that surgery was required to fix this nagging particle issue.
This is a tough blow for this Nets team given Harris' ability to make it rain from deep. He was at 46.6% on 3-pointers before the injury and is at 43.9% for his career. Brooklyn will now be without two top shooters in Harris and Kyrie Irving for the foreseeable future.
Even with some of their woes, which include James Harden's own offensive struggles, the Nets are on top of the Eastern Conference with a 14-6 record. Brooklyn's defense has been surprisingly stout, and Kevin Durant has been playing at an MVP level. The Nets are still a top title contender this season, and there's plenty of time left for them to get healthy and perhaps get Irving back at some point.