Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic reports:
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Phoenix Suns swingman Mickael Pietrus will undergo minor right knee surgery Tuesday, and as a result will not follow through with plans to play for France in the European Championship starting Aug. 31.
Pietrus missed the final 12 games of the season because of a quadriceps-tendon strain near the same knee, an issue that seemed to start when he landed after an attempted blocked shot on March 23. Pietrus’ agent, Bill McCandless, said Pietrus was mentioning discomfort with the knee before he was traded from Orlando in December. At his recent camp in Guadeloupe, friends were telling McCandless that Pietrus was not moving well.
“I’m looking at it extremely positively,” McCandless said. “I know the player well and I sensed something wasn’t right. He’s not a complainer.”
Pietrus took a physical upon arrival for France’s camp, but the national team recommended he undergo surgery to remove loose cartilage. He is expected to be out of basketball action for four weeks.
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