The team announced that swingman Wally Szczerbiak will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Monday and miss the remainder of the season.
“Instead of playing through it at this point, we decided he (Szczerbiak) should have the surgery now,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “Instead of coming to camp in July rehabbing, Wally should be fine by July.”
Szczerbiak, 28, has been bothered by swelling in the knee since being acquired by the Celtics from Minnesota in a seven-player trade on January 26.
A pure shooter who relieved some of the scoring pressure on Paul Pierce, the 6-7 Szczerbiak averaged 17.5 points in 32 games with Boston. He averaged 20.1 points in 40 games with Minnesota.
An All-Star in 2002, Szczerbiak is owed $36 million over the next three years.
The Celtics (31-44) trail Chicago by four games with seven games left in the race for the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
