Jared Dudley Injury: Updates on Wizards Forward's Recovery from Back Surgery

Washington Wizards small forward Jared Dudley is scheduled to miss three to four months after undergoing back surgery to repair a herniated disc, according to an official press release from the team. 

Continue for updates. 

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Dudley to Begin Rehab Process Immediately

Tuesday, July 21

Dudley battled a back injury throughout the 2014-15 season with the Milwaukee Bucks, and Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld addressed the situation via the press release: 

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During our discussions with Jared and his agent, Mark Bartelstein, we were made aware that he played with pain for a significant part of last season due to this injury. After jointly consulting with our team doctors and several specialists, we collectively determined that this proactive approach was the best course of action to have him ready for the upcoming season and to prevent the risk of further injury.

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Dudley, who's now expected to miss training camp and the start of the 2015-16 campaign, according to CSN Washington's J. Michael, also discussed the operation in the release:

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Although I'm disappointed that I won't be on the floor with my new teammates for the start of training camp, I'm confident that having this surgery now will allow me to perform at my best and contribute throughout the season. I appreciate the patience and support of the organization and I can assure my teammates and the fans that I will work extremely hard to be on the floor as soon as possible.

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The Wizards acquired Dudley for a protected future second-round pick on July 2 to fill the void left at small forward by Paul Pierce, but the severe nature of Dudley's back ailment may have factored into the cheap price tag, as SB Nation's Mike Prada noted:

The bigger problem moving forward, as CSN Washington's Ben Standig discussed, is that the Wizards' ability to get creative with smaller lineup permutations will be hindered:    

Dudley's no stranger to dealing with big injuries either. 

During an underwhelming 2013-14 season, the swingman played through a fracture in his right knee before the Los Angeles Clippers dealt him to the Bucks.

Last season, Dudley battled the back injury but still averaged 7.2 points while shooting 46.8 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from three over the course of 72 appearances.

With Dudley down, the Wizards will need to lean on the platoon of Otto Porter, rookie Kelly Oubre and veteran Alan Anderson to carry the load over the season's first month or so.