NBA teams
Chad Ford, ESPN Senior Writer 11y

Anthony Bennett has surgery

NBA Draft, NBA, UNLV Rebels

UNLV draft prospect Anthony Bennett had rotator cuff surgery on his left shoulder Wednesday according to a statement relased by his doctor.

"Anthony had an unstable SLAP tear which was successfully repaired," Dr. David Altchek said in the statement. "He can return to the court in four months. His prognosis is for 100 percent recovery.

SLAP is an acronym that describes a superior labral tear that goes from anterior to posterior, in other words, a tear of the upper part of the labrum that goes from front to back.

Bennett will miss all NBA pre-draft workouts, the NBA draft combine and summer league, Schwartz said.

Bennett is currently ranked No. 4 on ESPN.com's Big Board and is projected as a Top 10 pick in the upcoming draft.

ESPN.com spoke to two NBA GMs who said they think the surgery is unlikely to affect his draft position.

"You always would prefer a guy is healthy, works out for you and can play in summer league," one GM said. "However, I don't think in this case that it will really matter. We got a good feel for his game. He's one of the most NBA-ready prospects in the draft. I wouldn't blink taking him in the Top 5 as long as the surgery is successful."

Three players in ESPN.com's Top 10 -- Kentucky's Nerlens Noel, Maryland's Alex Len and Bennett -- are now out with injuries for the entire draft-workout process and summer league.

^ Back to Top ^