Rodney McGruder to miss 3-6 months with stress fracture

Rodney McGruder has suffered a stress fracture and will likely have to have surgery. This report comes from the Vertical.

If McGruder is determined to need surgery, he will miss a minimum of 3 months and it’s really hard to know how much time because it all depends on how it heals.

McGruder has been starting for the Miami Heat ever since Justise Winslow went down with an injury at the beginning of last year. He has kept that role so far in the preseason.

Without McGruder, the Heat could turn to either Winslow or Josh Richardson. McGruder will be missed, but if healthy the Heat have plenty of options to play in his place with those two and also Wayne Ellington.

The other option the Heat will have to consider is whether or not to just cut ties with McGruder. That seems unlikely because of the value he has contributed. But you never know especially with decent options from Matt Williams or Derrick Walton.

That doesn’t seem to be what the Heat will do, but it has to be considered whether missed half the season is worth it for them, especially when not all of McGruder’s contract is guaranteed.

Stay tuned.