PORTLAND, Ore. -- Trail Blazers center Greg Oden, the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, will undergo exploratory arthroscopic surgery this week because of pain in his right knee.
An MRI taken last week showed Oden may have some cartilage problems, general manager Kevin Pritchard said Monday.
A timetable for Oden's return will be set following the surgery, which will take place Thursday in Vancouver, Wash. The Trail Blazers open training camp in three weeks and the regular season starts Oct. 30.
This is Oden's second health problem since the Trail Blazers drafted him in June. He had a tonsillectomy in July after struggling in two Las Vegas summer league games.
Oden recovered from the tonsillectomy and was working out in the Portland area when he felt pain in his knee. The MRI was taken Thursday and Oden refrained from working out over the weekend.
Cheri Hanson, a team spokeswoman, said Oden and coach Nate McMillan would not be available to answer questions. Efforts to reach Oden's agent, Mike Conley Sr., by phone were not successful.
Oden, despite being hampered by a wrist injury, averaged 15.7 points and 9.6 rebounds for Ohio State last season, leading the Buckeyes to the national championship game as a freshman. He had 25 points and 12 rebounds in the loss to Florida.
The Trail Blazers were the surprise winners of the NBA draft lottery and chose Oden over Texas forward Kevin Durant, who went to Seattle.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
Source: ESPN.com
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