MINNEAPOLIS -- The Timberwolves will be without at least one of their injured players for the rest of the season.
The team announced center Ronny Turiaf underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his right hip Tuesday in New York City. Following the operation by Dr. Bryan Kelly at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, it was determined Turiaf won't be back this year.
He may have played his last game in a Wolves uniform.
The 6-foot-10, 249-pound Martinique native is on the second season of the two-year, $3.2 million deal he signed last summer as an unrestricted free agent. Turiaf, 31, also has hinted retirement may be looming in the next few years.
Tuesday's news leaves Minnesota with two centers left on the roster, and just one who's healthy in Gorgui Dieng. Starter Nikola Pekovic has missed 14 of the Wolves' 23 games with ankle and wrist issues and won't return till next month at the earliest, coach and president of basketball operations Flip Saunders has said.
Minnesota is also down point guard Ricky Rubio (ankle) and shooting guard Kevin Martin (wrist) until January. Reserve point guard Mo Williams has missed the Wolves' past six games but practiced Monday and may be available for Tuesday night's game at Washington.
To fill the void at center, Saunders has been using forwards Jeff Adrien -- signed via an NBA-granted roster limit exemption -- and Robbie Hummel. He's also playing Dieng about 27 minutes per game -- almost double what the 2013 draft's 21st overall pick played a year ago.
Turiaf appeared in just two games this season. Last year, elbow and knee injuries sidelined him for 51 games.
In 33 games with Minnesota, Turiaf averaged 4.5 points on 59.8 percent shooting, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.
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