Nets’ Haywood Highsmith Faces Eight-Week Reevaluation After Knee Setback
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Brooklyn Nets forward Haywood Highsmith will be sidelined for at least eight weeks after experiencing renewed swelling in his surgically repaired right knee, the team announced on Oct. 19.
The Nets said Highsmith was examined while rehabbing from a summer meniscectomy on the same knee. Doctors determined the recovery plan needed to be “modified and extended,” prompting a new timetable that will keep him out until at least mid-December.
The updated schedule all but rules Highsmith out for the first quarter of the season, and a full return to game action is expected to take additional time once he is medically cleared.
Highsmith, 28, posted career highs last year with 6.5 points and 0.9 steals per game while shooting 38.2% from three-point range for Miami. Undrafted in 2018, he carved out a rotation role with the Heat as a versatile defender and spot-up shooter before being traded to Brooklyn in August along with a second-round pick in a cost-cutting move.
Despite the injury, the 6-foot-7 wing survived the Nets’ final roster cuts that included the release of guard Kobe Bufkin. According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, Highsmith’s leadership and locker-room presence have been valued on a roster heavy with young players.
Highsmith is in the final season of a $5.6 million contract. If he returns to form before the February trade deadline, his expiring deal could draw interest from contenders in need of wing depth.
Source: HoopsRumors
