Marvin Williams will undergo surgery to repair a sore right heel and Achilles tendon, knocking him out of action for approximately six months, the Jazz announced. That would put him on track to return around the start of December. The surgery may also weigh heavily on his decision about whether to exercise his $7.5MM early-termination option for 2013/14.
Williams has been non-committal about that option so far, though it was doubtful even before today's announcement that he would have received a salary on the open market as high as the $7.5MM he'll get if he stays in Utah. If he were to opt out, it would seemingly be to secure a long-term contract that included more money over the life of the deal, but the 26-year-old might be hard-pressed to find more than a $7.5MM guarantee now that he's hurt.
The former No. 2 overall pick showed few signs of needing major surgery during the season. He appeared in 73 games, including the team's season finale, though he did miss some time this season because of tendinitis in his right heel, as Jody Genessy of The Deseret News points out (Twitter link).