Days before the start of the 2023-24 NBA season, the Memphis Grizzlies announced Steven Adams will undergo season-ending knee surgery.
In a statement posted Sunday, the Grizzlies said Adams requires surgery on his right posterior cruciate ligament and will not play this season.
The team is hopeful he'll make a full recovery and be ready for the start of the 2024-25 season.
Adams was sidelined for the final 36 games of the 2022-23 season after initially injuring his PCL on January 22.
He was originally only expected to miss four-to-five weeks, but was never able to return.
The hope was he'd be ready to go for the start of this season, but "non-operative rehabilitation did not resolve ongoing knee instability," according to the Grizzlies.
Adams, who was acquired by Memphis prior to the 2021-22 season, averaged 8.6 points, a career-high 11.5 rebounds and 1.10 blocks while starting all 42 games he played prior to his injury in January. The Grizzlies went 28-14 (.667) in games he played and 23-17 (.575) in games he missed.
Through his career, the 30-year-old Adams has averaged 9.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 0.96 blocks in 706 games over 10 seasons.
The Grizzlies open the season Wednesday against the New Orleans Pelicans, and won't have Ja Morant available until December 19 because of a 25-game suspension.