Aussies in NBA: Simmons to undergo surgery, possibly sidelined till January

It looks like Ben Simmons might make his NBA debut in December, or even January.

According to ESPN's Marc Stein, Ben Simmons will undergo surgery on his foot next week, with no specific date being set as yet. A source has told ESPN's Jeff Goodman that Simmons could be out for three months, which might see the forward returning by January.

A source told Philly.com's Keith Pompey that Simmons appeared to have a Zone 2 fracture (otherwise known as a Jones fracture). According to ESPN, Simmons is being evaluated by Cleveland Clinic foot specialist Brian Donley, along with Philadelphia's own medical team.

Further details of Simmons' injury have not been officially announced as yet.

It's also believed that the injury is not a stress reaction caused by the weight gain. ESPN sources also debunked the weight gain speculation, despite the fact that it was Simmons himself who had talked about his 33 pound weight gain on media day. According to said sources, Simmons was weighing 240 pounds during summer league, and reported to training camp at 244 pounds, making his gain a mere four pounds.

If the ESPN source is right, Simmons might be out for three months, but the Sixers should definitely take care and not rush the process. He should take as much time as he needs to get back to 100%, before returning to the court. Forcing a hastened return only triggers memories of Kevin Durant's long and painful recovery from his Jones fracture, and Philadelphia surely wants to avoid a similar scenario.