Jerryd Bayless out for the season after undergoing wrist surgery

The Philadelphia 76ers announced that point guard Jerryd Bayless underwent surgery on Thursday to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist. According to the team, the wrist will be immobilized until March, and he will not play during the remainder of the 2016-17 season.

Bayless signed a three-year, $21 million deal with the Sixers in July, and was expected to be the team’s starting point guard on opening night. He injured the wrist in the first few days of training camp, and sat out the first 13 games of the season as he attempted to hold off surgery.

The 28-year-old made his season debut on Nov. 21 against the Miami Heat, posting four points and five assists in 17 minutes of action. He started the following two games, but clearly looked hampered by the injury, and has not seen the court since Nov. 25. Bayless finished the season averaging 11 points and 4.3 assists while shooting 34.4 percent from the field.

While surgery certainly seemed inevitable, it’s an unfortunate loss for a team that was finally starting its climb towards regaining full health. Nerlens Noel made his season debut on Sunday against the Detroit Pistons, and rookie Ben Simmons stepped on the practice court in sneakers for the first time since breaking his foot.

Philadelphia will continue to rely upon veteran guard Sergio Rodriguez, who has drastically improved his shooting over the past three weeks, and T.J. McConnell.