Reports: Wizards' Howard to undergo surgery

Washington Wizards big man Dwight Howard will have surgery for his nagging gluteal injury and will be out for at least a months, according to multiple reports.

Per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports and Shams Charania of The Athletic, Howard will undergo back surgery to help alleviate pain from a nagging gluteal injury. Per Haynes, Howard is expected to miss two-to-three months and Charania reports Howard is having surgery on the L4 and L5 discs in his spine.

As first reported by @ChrisBHaynes, Dwight Howard will undergo the back surgery this morning in Los Angeles, I’ve confirmed.

— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) November 30, 2018

Dwight Howard is undergoing surgery on L4/L5 discs in his spine and hopeful of return within eight weeks, league sources said. https://t.co/fF9j6vBrRz

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 30, 2018

If the procedure is successful, a typical recovery timeline is 2-3 months. But Howard could return to action sooner. https://t.co/4BoYkahXSo

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) November 30, 2018

Here’s more from Haynes on what’s next for Howard:

Washington Wizards center Dwight Howard is undergoing a surgical procedure to alleviate pain from a gluteal injury, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

The injury has limited Howard to nine games this season, and if the procedure is successful, a typical recovery timeline is two-to-three months. However, there is a chance Howard could return sooner, sources said.

The decision to have surgery, which is being performed by Dr. Robert Watkins, was made after Howard visited a nerve specialist in Los Angeles, sources said.

On Thursday night, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Howard would “probably will need a surgical procedure” for the gluteal injury that has forced him to miss 12 out of 21 games.

The eight-time All-Star is averaging 12.8 points and 9.2 rebounds for the Wizards, who have begun to stabilize after a 2-9 start to the season.