Dirk Nowitzki Reportedly Underwent Surgery on Ankle Injury, out for Season

Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki will reportedly miss the remainder of the 2017-18 NBA season after undergoing surgery on his left ankle Thursday, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

MacMahon called the surgery "relatively minor" and said it isn't expected to impact whether Nowitzki decides to play next season. According to Marc Stein of the New York Times, the surgery was already planned when Nowitzki previously said, "As of now, I'm planning to come back."

Still, it is another setback for Nowitzki, who dealt with Achilles issues last season and played just 54 games.

Nowitzki is a no-doubt future Hall of Famer and has one of the best resumes in basketball history as a 13-time All-Star. He was the 2006-07 MVP and 2011 NBA Finals MVP and has averaged more than 20 points a night 13 seasons in his career.

However, the 39-year-old has fallen off some statistically this season, averaging 12.0 points and 5.7 rebounds per game—his worst numbers since his rookie season in 1998-99.

In a lost season for the 24-55 Mavs, look for Dwight Powell (if he returns from a knee injury), Johnathan Motley and Maximilian Kleber in the frontcourt for the final three games.