Kyrie Irving injury update: Celtics star out 3-to-6 weeks after left knee procedure

Irving has not played since March 11, and it appears he will miss Boston's first-round playoff series

The Boston Celtics announced on Saturday that All-Star guard Kyrie Irving will not return to basketball activities for 3-6 weeks after having a tension wire removed from his left knee. From the Celtics:

Celtics guard Kyrie Irving today underwent a minimally-invasive procedure to remove a tension wire in his left knee. The wire was originally placed as part of the surgical repair of a fractured patella sustained during the 2015 NBA Finals. While removal of the wire should relieve irritation it was causing in Irving's patellar tendon, the fractured patella has fully healed and Irving's knee has been found to be completely structurally sound. Irving is expected to return to basketball activities in 3-6 weeks. 

If Irving is out for the full six weeks he would return around May 5, meaning he would miss the entirety of Boston's first-round playoff series.

Irving has missed games at various points this season both for general rest, and to give his knee a break. The most recent case of soreness, though, would not go away with a few days off. He has not played since March 11 when he left the Celtics' game against the Pacers with knee soreness. Therefore, Irving went to get a second opinion on the knee, and apparently the decision was made for him to undergo a procedure immediately instead of relying on rest.

While it's unfortunate for the Celtics that Irving needs the procedure so close to the postseason, it's not wholly surprising that he went under the knife. GM Danny Ainge told the media earlier this month that it was possible Irving would need surgery at some point in the future. And the future is apparently now.

In addition, it perhaps makes sense for Irving to just get the procedure over with right now considering all of the other injuries the Celtics are dealing with. If they had a healthy squad, and could contend for a title, perhaps he would have played through the pain. But with the team short so many key players such as Gordon Hayward, Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown, it makes sense to fix the problem before it gets worse.