Mike Miller has sports hernia surgery, out up to two months

Miami Heat sharpshooter Mike Miller is once again facing an injury that will keep him out of commission during a crucial time for training with his teammates. More importantly, this latest injury setback could cost Miller a spot on this season's Heat roster. He confirmed on Thursday that he underwent sports hernia surgery earlier this week, a procedure that could keep him off the court for up to two months.

While there is never really a good time to have surgery, this latest trip under the knife for Miller couldn't come at a worse time. Though the new collective-bargaining agreement has yet to be ratified, you can certainly see the writing on the wall. As part of the new CBA's amnesty provision, teams will be given a one-time allowance to release a player without suffering any luxury-cap or salary-cap penalties.

Miller is entering the 2^nd year of the 5-year deal he was given by the Heat last summer, a deal that will pay him another $23.8 million. I'm really hoping that Pat Riley elects to hang on to Miller and give him proper time to heal up. It's a shame because he was finally beginning to feel good again, almost fully recovered from thumb and shoulder surgeries.

A healthy Mike Miller would be an extremely valuable asset to the Heat, but the question remains if Pat Riley will take a chance and hang on to Miller or if Riley would rather cut ties with the oft-injured sharpshooter and use the cap space to sign other players that he feels would be a good fit. Nothing can happen between now and December 9^th so let the speculation begin.

What would you guys do if given the choice of hanging on to Miller and waiting to (hopefully) reap the benefits of how he plays when healthy, or cutting ties with him and finding a replacement shooter on the free agent market? (vote below)

I'll leave you with some comments from Miller following the announcement of his surgery and the realization of the situation he finds himself in with the Heat:

"I never had a surgery like these before I got here, and now this is my fourth one here. I've just got to deal with it. That's just my luck right now. I've just got terrible luck. I don't know what's going on."

"It had been bothering me for a while, so I decided to have it checked out. They said I tore the abdominal muscle off the pelvic bone."

In the words of the great Austin Powers....ouch baby, very ouch.