The Dallas Mavericks will be without Jeremy Evans after the forward underwent an arthroscopic procedure to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder, ending his season. The labrum is a piece of fibrocartilage that attaches to the shoulder socket to help keep the joint's ball in place.
Evans played in just 30 games for the Mavericks this season, and now he will be out for the remainder of the year. The forward has been dealing with shoulder soreness since January, which limited his playing time. This season, he averaged 2.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in eight minutes per game. Evans gave the team some solid depth off the bench, and now the team will rely on Justin Anderson behind Chandler Parsons.
The Mavericks said the procedure was done at the Carrell Clinic in Dallas by team physician Dr. Daniel Worrel. Evans started only two games for the Mavericks this season, which was his first in Dallas after signing with the team last summer. The 28-year-old, who previously played for the Utah Jazz, averaged 3.5 points and 2.6 rebounds over six seasons.
Evans had his most productive year last season with Utah. The forward set career-highs across the board while averaging 6.1 points and 4.7 rebounds in 66 games. The former second round pick signed a two-year contract with the Mavericks that will pay him $1.1 million this season and $1.2 million next season. He then becomes an unrestricted free agent.
The forward last played for the Mavericks back on Feb. 21 against the Philadelphia 76ers, and has been out for the last 11 games. While the team did not announce a set timetable for Evans' return, it is likely that he will be ready for training camp this summer.
The Mavericks are in the eighth spot in the Western Conference with a 34-34 record. The team is leading the Utah Jazz by two games in the standings for the final playoff spot out west. The Mavericks would match up with the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs if the postseason started today. The Warriors are currently 61-6 on the season. The two teams will meet tomorrow night.
