Boston Celtics GM Danny Ainge went on the radio on Thursday morning and delivered some good news and some bad news for Celtics fans. The good news is that he expects Kyrie Irving will be fully healthy for the playoffs next month, but the bad news is that at some point in the next few years, Irving is going to need to have surgery on his knee. Via MassLive.com:

"There was a lot of discussion (at the time)," Ainge said Thursday during his weekly interview with 98.5 The Sports Hub's Toucher & Rich. "And that was a big part of it going forward too was Kyrie had the injury. So we knew there would be maintenance issues, but his long-term prognostication is good. He's going to have some maintenance issues here and there. We knew coming into this year that he probably wasn't going to be an 82-game guy. He was going to be a 72-, 75-game guy in order to keep him fresh for the playoffs. And thats what it's been. And we're just extra cautious. We have the good fortune of being extra cautious right now. And we want him fresh and healthy. And we think that he will be come playoff time."

"He has some surgery that may need to happen," Ainge confirmed. "But maybe not this summer. Maybe the following summer or maybe the summer after that. I think that he could probably do it any time he wanted, but I'm not sure that it's needed at this moment."

Irving left the Celtics' loss to the Pacers on Sunday evening with a sore knee, and did not play in their loss Wednesday night to the Wizards. He underwent an MRI, but it came back clean, and he is expected to travel with the Celtics on their upcoming road trip. 

The All-Star point guard has missed various games throughout the season, to rest both his knee and just in general. And that, it seems, will just be the plan going forward, which makes sense. The Celtics won't go anywhere in the playoffs without a healthy Irving, especially this season. If making sure he's healthy for the postseason means skipping some games in the regular season, then that's what the Celtics should do. 

As for the future knee surgery, that's never something that a player wants to go through, but the good news for both Irving and the Celtics is that it doesn't seem like a pressing issue, and shouldn't keep Irving out for long whenever he opts to get the surgery.