PHOENIX — Suns forward Grant Hill will be out an undetermined amount of time after undergoing surgery Friday to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.
The Suns announced that the procedure, which came a day after an MRI revealed the tear, was successful.
The team believes that if rehabilitation goes as expected, Hill could return this season. Coach Alvin Gentry said Hill will be out at least two weeks but couldn't offer a timeline. The Suns' regular-season finale is April 25.
"We can't feel sorry for ourselves, because no one else is going to feel sorry for us," Gentry said. "Obviously Grant was an integral part of our team on the offensive and defensive end, so somebody is going to have to step in.
"If we get him back, great, but we can't depend on that. We have to depend on whoever we have here. That's the message I've got to deliver to the team."
Gentry said Shannon Brown will "more than likely" start in Hill's absence and Josh Childress likely will get more minutes, as well.
The Suns entered Friday two games out of the playoff picture in the Western Conference. Without Hill, their best defender, the Suns' push to move into the top eight in the final 15 games will be even more difficult.
"It's going to be tough," guard Steve Nash said. "We kind of need everything to go exactly our way these last few weeks. We're going to have to be really tough physically and mentally."
At 39, Hill is the NBA's second-oldest player, just one day behind Portland Trail Blazers big man Kurt Thomas. Regardless, Hill has provided lockdown defense for the Suns this season, commonly tasked with defending opponents' best players. In 46 games this season, Hill averaged 10.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists. He was shooting 52.1 percent from the field since the All-Star break.
Though multiple contenders pursued Hill aggressively in free agency before the season, he decided to return to the Suns on a one-year contract worth $6.5 million. With the knee procedure threatening the rest of Hill's season and the Suns uncertain to make the playoffs, Hill might have played his last game with the team should he choose to retire or should the Suns decide not to re-sign him.
