New Orleans Pelicans guard Tyreke Evans has not played since leaving his team's Jan. 25 loss to the Houston Rockets with a knee injury and will not return this season.

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Evans Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery

Thursday, Feb. 11

The Pelicans announced Evans underwent successful surgery and will miss the remainder of the season.

Evans' Versatility Vital for Pelicans at Both Ends of Floor

Evans may be the most important player on New Orleans' roster aside from star big man Anthony Davis. The 26-year-old veteran is capable of running the point, playing off the ball as a 2-guard and even filling in at small forward.

No one can match Evans' versatility, and he's a rare type of offensive catalyst who elevates the play of those around him. When he missed the first 17 games of this season while recovering from right knee surgery, the Pelicans went 4-13.

The right knee pain continued to bother Evans later in 2015-16 and forced him out of action. Even when he initially returned, Evans admitted he wasn't 100 percent.

With Evans done for the season, there's reason for New Orleans to be alarmed. Davis has not risen to the occasion as a leader amid the Pelicans' underwhelming season, so someone will have to step up in Evans' absence to boost team morale.