Veteran wing Thabo Sefolosha has elected to undergo knee surgery that likely will end his season, leaving the banged-up Utah Jazz (17-26) even more shorthanded.
The Jazz announced Tuesday afternoon that Sefolosha’s procedure to repair an avulsion in the medial collateral ligament in his right leg would be performed Wednesday in Salt Lake City.
League sources have told The Tribune that the Jazz will ask the NBA for an injury hardship waiver. If granted, Sefolosha’s salary of $5.8 million would not be charged to the Jazz’s salary cap, giving them additional flexibility ahead of the trade deadline.
Sefolosha, 33, was one of the free agents the Jazz signed over the summer, hoping to construct one of the league’s toughest defenses in the wake of Gordon Hayward’s departure. Injuries helped derail that hope, but Sefolosha was no disappointment. He averaged 8.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals while shooting 49.2 percent in 38 games with six starts for one of the best offensive seasons of his career.
He was injured while running back to defend a fast break Friday against the Charlotte Hornets. Aside from his statistical production, the Jazz also expect to miss his mentorship, competitiveness and professionalism, which functioned as a glue in an adversity-laden season.
“We need to find a more collective mental toughness,” coach Quin Snyder said after Monday’s loss to the Indiana Pacers. “I think Thabo was someone who was giving us that just with his leadership and his presence. We have to find that as a group.”
Sefolosha is on the first year of a two-year, $10.5 million deal with the Jazz, who have a team option to bring him back next season, which would be his 12th in the NBA.
It’s expected that Jonas Jerebko and Joe Johnson will fill time at power forward. Jerebko has averaged 6.2 points per game in 16 starts this season, while Johnson is averaging 7.2 points.
Sefolosha wasted little time endearing himself to Utahns, saving a woman who was struggling in the Provo River the first day he moved to the state. He also found a niche with the Jazz as a wing defender for matchups with Kevin Durant, LeBron James and some of the league’s other stars.
He gave some pregame speeches to the team, and several younger players credited him with teaching them the ropes on defense in the NBA. They hope that he’ll still play that role despite his injury.
“I look to him, like, ‘What do you see in the game?’” Donovan Mitchell said. “When you have a guy you can go up to like that, it shows how much he knows and his presence.”
