New York Knicks point guard Derrick Rose had surgery Wednesday on his right ankle, the team said.
According to the Knicks, Rose will be reevaluated in eight weeks. However, a source told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski there is optimism his return could be closer to a six-week timetable.
Rose had been out with what the team said was ankle soreness. He last played Dec. 16, going scoreless in 12 minutes against the Houston Rockets.
The 33-year-old Rose had mostly come off the bench since arriving from Detroit in a February trade that reunited him with Tom Thibodeau, his coach in Chicago when Rose was the NBA's MVP in 2011. He finished third in voting for the NBA's Sixth Man Award last season, though he moved into the starting lineup for the final three games of their playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks.
The point guard went back to the bench behind Kemba Walker to start this season but had taken over the starting spot again before getting hurt. He is averaging 12 points per game as one of the bright spots in New York's disappointing 14-17 start.
Walker had fallen out of the rotation entirely, though he started the past two games with so many Knicks unavailable and played well.
RJ Barrett, Nerlens Noel, Immanuel Quickley, Kevin Knox II, Quentin Grimes and Miles McBride remain out in protocols, though Obi Toppin was cleared to return Wednesday.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
