Timberwolves president and coach Flip Saunders told reporters on Monday that center Nikola Pekovic will miss the remainder of the season due to injury.
Flip confirms that Nikola Pekovic will be out for the remainder of the season.
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) March 30, 2015
Counting Monday night’s game against Utah, the Wolves have just nine games remaining.
The news comes on the same day the Wolves announced their other center Gorgui Dieng will miss the first game of his career due to injury, because of concussion symptoms.
The hope was that Pekovic, who has been bothered by a sore ankle throughout parts of the last two seasons, would be able to help lead the Wolves young core through the post-Kevin Love transition.
However, Pekovic’s ankle didn’t respond like the Wolves had hoped.
Nikola Pekovic, who is shutdown for final stretch, will play a career-low 31 games this season. #Twolves
— Andy Greder (@twolvesnow) March 30, 2015
The news doesn’t come as a surprise. Pro Basketball Talk notes that he hasn’t played since Mar. 11.
Pekovic averaged 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds for the Wolves on 42.9 percent shooting in those 31 games. Pekovic’s contract runs through 2018 and he will make $12 million for this season.
