Cavaliers' Taurean Prince undergoes arthroscopic ankle surgery

Cavaliers forward Taurean Prince has undergone arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle, the team announced Wednesday in a press release. The procedure took place on Tuesday in New York.

Prince was experiencing ongoing discomfort in his left ankle for several weeks, and there had long been an expectation that he’d undergo surgery during the offseason. However, as was reported last week, he and the team opted to move up that procedure, completing it before the end of the 2020-21 season.

The Cavaliers didn’t provide a specific timeline for Prince’s recovery, simply stating that he has been ruled out indefinitely. It’s safe to assume his season is over and that he’ll aim to be ready by the fall, but the club says his return to basketball activities will be updated as appropriate.

Prince, who started the season in Brooklyn, was sent to Cleveland in the four-team James Harden trade in January. He has appeared in a total of 41 games for the Nets and Cavs this season, averaging 9.5 PPG and 3.5 RPG with a very solid .400 3PT% in 22.1 minutes per contest.

Prince will enter a contract year in 2021-22 — his expiring $13M salary could make him a trade candidate either in the offseason or at next year’s deadline.