Wizards announce John Wall undergoes procedure on both knees, not expected to miss time next season

There was some confusion as to why John Wall was at the Cavaliers-Hawks game on Wednesday night. Now, we have an answer, and it's not the one people were probably expecting: He was in town for surgery, as the team announced today:

The Washington Wizards announced that guard John Wall underwent a successful procedure today to excise calcific deposits in his left patella tendon in order to eliminate pain and assist healing. He will begin the rehabilitation process immediately and is expected to be available for the start of the 2016-17 season. Wall also underwent an arthroscopic lavage on his right knee in order to remove loose bodies.

"I am determined to lead this team back to the playoffs and getting healthy is the best way for me to accomplish that," said Wall. "I can promise the fans, my teammates and the organization that I will be focused on that goal throughout the summer and it will drive me to do everything I can to be ready for next season."

The procedure was performed by Dr. Richard D. Parker at the Cleveland Clinic Marymount following consultations with Dr. James Andrews, Dr. Josh Hackel and Wizards Head Team Physician Wiemi Douoguih.

"John’s procedure went very well and should allow him to play without pain once he has completed his rehabilitation," said Parker. "We have worked closely with the Wizards’ medical and athletic training staff throughout this process to develop the plan he will need to follow this summer in order to resume his normal basketball activities."

[...] "The consultations with John, his agent and a variety of top medical professionals led us all to the conclusion that the best course of action for John was to have this procedure done now with regards to both next season and his long-term health," said Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld. "John has been a true warrior for us throughout his career and we’re confident that his work ethic will have him back leading the team as soon as possible."

The surgeries come after Wall missed the final five games of the 2015-16 season with knee swelling issues, including two when the Wizards were still in playoff contention. Clearly, the Wizards made the right decision to avoid putting Wall at further risk at the end of the season.

This isn't the first time Wall has gone under the knife for knee issues. He missed the start of the 2012-13 season after suffering a stress injury to his left patella tendon. Later, he revealed that he nearly broke his kneecap due to the injury.

It's good to hear the surgery should allow him to return in time for the start of next season, but it's unclear how much it will affect his off.season workouts. If nothing else, it probably rules him out of contention for a roster spot on Team USA for the Olympics.