Eric Gordon Injury: Updates on Pelicans Star's Ankle

New Orleans Pelicans star shooting guard Eric Gordon underwent arthroscopic surgery Thursday to remove scar tissue particles from his injured left ankle.

John Reid of NOLA.com and The Times-Picayune reports that the relatively minor procedure was performed by Dr. Richard Ferkel in Los Angeles, per team officials.

Gordon was bothered by a right knee injury this past season, which caused him to miss 40 games, as Reid points out.

Though Gordon is one of the most promising young scorers in the game—and led a putrid offensive team in New Orleans with 17 points per game in 2012-13—GM Dell Demps may still trade Gordon elsewhere to improve the team in the long term.

As the No. 7 overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft, it wouldn’t be the first time Gordon has been moved in a high-profile deal. The Los Angeles Clippers shipped him to his current squad in the blockbuster deal for superstar PG Chris Paul.

The background on Gordon in terms of health is somewhat concerning, but this ankle procedure was simply done to alleviate pain, according to Reid. It shouldn’t be viewed as a major setback.

However, it doesn’t do much to alleviate the seemingly cloudy future Gordon has with the Pelicans.

Getting into a screaming match with head coach Monty Williams late in the season certainly didn’t help his cause to stay in town, and the Pelicans can’t forget what happened last offseason. Gordon attempted to flee for the Phoenix Suns before New Orleans matched the Suns’ offer, allowing them to retain Gordon as a restricted free agent.