Nuggets power forward Juan Hernangomez has undergone successful surgery to repair a core muscle injury, the team announced today in a press release. The procedure was performed on Thursday morning in Philadelphia.
The Nuggets didn’t announce a recovery timetable for Hernangomez, but T.J. McBride of Mile High Sports points out (via Twitter) that the 23-year-old told reporters at season’s end that he expects to head back to Spain after two or three weeks in Denver. So it sounds as if he’ll complete his rehab in his home country before potentially suiting up for Spain in the World Cup in September.
Hernangomez was a regular part of Denver’s rotation in 2018/19, averaging 5.8 PPG and 3.8 RPG with a .439/.365/.767 shooting line in 70 games (19.4 MPG).
Although his overall numbers were solid, Hernangomez was far more effective in the first half of the season. He recorded 10.2 PPG and 5.8 RPG on .485/.431/.795 shooting through December 31, then was “clearly hampered” by his injury down the stretch, tweets Nick Kosmider of The Athletic.
Hernangomez will earn about $3.32MM in the final year of his rookie contract in 2019/20. He’ll be eligible for restricted free agency a year from now if he doesn’t agree to an extension with the Nuggets during the 2019 offseason.