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Sixers small forward Robert Covington underwent successful minor arthroscopic knee surgery on Tuesday to repair a meniscus tear, according to a press release from the team.
Covington will begin his rehabilitation in Philadelphia and will transition into “full weight-bearing” in two weeks. He’s expected to resume basketball related activities this summer.
CSN’s Jessica Camerato provided a little more insight:
Covington expects 4-6 weeks recovery but he was told could be sooner bc he's had head start on rehab.
— Jessica Camerato (@JCameratoCSN) April 12, 2017
Covington chimed in on the surgery via his Instagram account.
#Sixers pic.twitter.com/DqyWSpEdqF
— Jon Johnson (@jonjohnsonwip) April 18, 2017
The 26-year-old started all 67 games he played in for the Sixers, averaging 12.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.9 steals while shooting 39.9 percent from the field. Covington also appeared in 67 games during the 2015-16 season.
His last appearance came in the Sixers 106-101 win over the Brooklyn Nets on March 28. He was shut down with knee soreness the following day, and on March 31 the team finally announced that he would miss the remaining seven games of the season due to a slight tear of the lateral meniscus.
Covington is set to become a free agent at the conclusion of next season, and general manager Bryan Colangelo has indicated that signing him to a longterm deal is one of the team’s priorities.
The nature of his knee injury seems relatively minor, so it shouldn’t stop the two sides from potentially working out a hefty contract for one of the NBA’s best bargains.