Laker center Chris Mihm will sit out the rest of the regular season after opting for surgery on an ankle that has bothered him since March, the L.A. Times is reporting.

Mihm sat out 24 of the team's final 25 games last season and had not played this season. He will be out five to eight months after having a ligament and tendon repaired in his right ankle. The surgery will be performed Tuesday by Mark Meyerson in Baltimore.

If the Lakers make the playoffs, there is a slight chance Mihm would return.

"Naturally I'm disappointed, but I'm optimistic that in the long run this surgery will lead to a 100% recovery, and I look forward to resuming my NBA career full-bore at that time," Mihm said in a statement.

"Unfortunately, despite an intense and grueling therapy regimen, my ankle simply has not responded the way I hoped."