Jerryd Bayless has wrist surgery, ending his season
Jerryd Bayless was adamant that season-ending surgery was his last option. Well, the 76ers point guard must have run out of other ones then.
Jerryd Bayless was adamant that season-ending surgery was his last option. Well, the 76ers point guard must have run out of other ones then.
He had surgery Thursday morning to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist at Hospital of Special Surgery in New York.
"While it's unfortunate Jerryd will miss the remainder of the season, we feel confident that today's procedure will resolve his wrist injury and related discomfort," Sixers president Bryan Colangelo said in a statement. "Jerryd is to be credited with his committed and professional approach in making every effort to avoid this outcome."
Bayless' wrist will be immobilized for the next 12 weeks. He experienced soreness in the wrist during training camp in September. The Sixers determined that it was a torn ligament on Oct. 21.
Bayless, 28, missed the first 13 games. A free-agent addition this summer, he made his Sixers debut on Nov. 21 in a victory over the Miami Heat.
In the next game, against the Memphis Grizzlies on Nov. 23, he fell several times to the floor, impacting his wrist. Despite the pain, Bayless made his long-awaited first start against the Chicago Bulls on Nov. 25. He experienced soreness throughout the game and has not played since.
As a last-ditch effort to get back on the court, the 6-foot-3, 210-pounder received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his wrist two weeks ago. His blood was used to promote healing in the ligament. Apparently, it didn't work.
After Bayless consulted with wrist and hand specialists, it was determined that he had no choice but to have the surgery.
Things could have turned out the way they did for former Sixers power forward Carl Landry.
As a member of the Sacramento Kings during the 2014-15 season, Landry missed five games with a torn ligament in his right wrist. At the time, he was told that surgery wasn't necessary. However, the pain in his wrist persisted in the offseason. And after undergoing an MRI exam in May of that year, he had to have surgery on June 2, 2015, to repair the ligament.
The Kings traded him to the Sixers a month later. However, Landry didn't make his Sixers debut until Dec. 23, 2015, because of the injury.
Bayless signed a three-year, $27 million contract with the Sixers in July. So he's part of their future plans.
@PompeyOnSixers