◤NBA◢ Charlotte Hornets small forward Kelly Oubre Jr. expected to be ruled out for a-and-a-half months due to torn ligament in left hand..

2023-01-04 09:45

◤NBA◢ Charlotte Hornets small forward Kelly Oubre Jr. expected to be ruled out for a-and-a-half months due to torn ligament in left hand..




Renowned American journalist, Shams Charania of The Athletic, brought exclusive news on Tuesday that Charlotte Hornets small forward Kelly Oubre Jr. is expected to be out for a small period of time due to a torn ligament in his left hand.


According to Charania's report, Oubre Jr. will undergo surgery on Thursday (January 5, 2023) local time. After the operation is successful, according to the treatment procedure, he is expected to be ruled out for one-and-a-half months, that is between 4 to 6 weeks. If all goes well, Oubre Jr. will be able to return after the All-Star break.


In addition, Charania also revealed that Oubre Jr. has felt discomfort in his left hand since the first week of the regular season of this season. During all these while, he has been playing while carrying the injury.


With Oubre Jr. also joining the injury list which contained Gordon Hayward and Cody Martins, Charlotte Hornets may have to pin their hopes on the underused James Bouknight, who has been in an erratic form since joining, to deal with this injury crisis.


The 27-year-old Oubre Jr. was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 15th pick in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft. He has also played for the Washington Wizards, Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors since then.


Oubre Jr. signed a two-year contract worth $25 million with the Hornets in August 2021, and scored a career-high 10 3-points against the Indiana Pacers on January 26, 2022.


Based on multiple sources, Oubre Jr. may choose to return to free agency after his contract expires this summer.


This season, Oubre Jr. played 35 times in the NBA regular season, averaging 32.6 minutes per game, averaging 20.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.6 steals, 42.1% field goal percentage, 30.8% 3-Points shooting percentage.