Warriors' Festus Ezeli expected to miss 6-to-9 months after knee surgery

Festus Ezeli will miss at least six months with knee surgery. (Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Warriors announced Thursday that center Festus Ezeli underwent surgery on his right knee that is expected to sideline him for six-to-nine months.

The injury apparently occurred during the Warriors' final game of the regular season, an April 17 game victory over the Blazers in Portland, but Ezeli went on to make 12 postseason appearances. Ezeli was originally disagnosed with a knee sprain but the surgery will "reinforce both the medial collateral ligament and the posterior cruciate ligament" in his knee, according to the Warriors.

A six-month rehabilitation would put Ezeli's return date in mid-December. A nine-month recovery timeline would push his return back to mid-March.

Ezeli, 23, was the No. 30 pick in the 2012 NBA draft after spending four years at Vanderbilt. He averaged 2.4 points and 4 rebounds as a rookie, starting 41 games during the regular season, and averaged 2 points and 2.5 rebounds per game during the postseason.

The Warriors have starting center Andrew Bogut, who missed most of the 2012-13 regular season with injuries, and reserve Andris Biedrins under contract for next season.