The Boston Celtics announced on Saturday afternoon that Kyrie Irving's second knee surgery in the past few weeks was successful, and the team expects to have him back for training camp next season. Via NBA.com/Celtics:

The Boston Celtics announced that guard Kyrie Irving underwent successful surgery today to remove two screws in his left patella.

"The surgery went exactly as planned, and we expect Kyrie to be fully healthy for training camp in the fall," said Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge.

Irving had dealt with knee soreness for most of the season, but it was usually taken care of with a few days of rest. Starting in March, however, Irving's knee pain continued despite rest and other non-surgical treatment. It was then that the team and Irving decided he would have a "minor" procedure to remove a tension wire that was in his knee dating back to his fractured patella in the 2015 NBA Finals. 

Initially the Celtics hoped that the removal of that wire would ease Irving's soreness, and he would be able to return in three-to-six weeks. Under that timeline he likely would have rejoined the team at the end of the first round or beginning of the second. 

But on Thursday, it was announced that Irving would be out for the remainder of the season -- playoffs included. As it turned out, the screws implanted in Irving's knee back in 2015 had become infected, and it was determined he needed a second surgery to remove those screws. 

He underwent that surgery on Saturday, and will be out for four-to-five months. Under that timeline, he should have no problem making it back for the start of training camp. 

The fact that Irving needed a second surgery was obviously tough news. However, given they were already without Gordon Hayward, Marcus Smart and Daniel Theis, they likely weren't challenging for a title this season anyway. And the news that he'll be healthy for next season -- along with Hayward -- means the Celtics have a lot to look forward to.