Report: Kevin Love's Need for Surgery on Hand Injury 'Uncertain'

Cleveland Cavaliers star Kevin Love is expected to miss up to two months with a fracture in his left hand, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports, though the "need for surgery is still uncertain."

According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com, X-rays taken Tuesday night after Love suffered the injury in the first quarter of Cleveland's loss to the Detroit Pistons revealed "a non-displaced fracture in his left hand fifth metacarpal."

Love's injury is a major blow to a Cavaliers team that's 5-8 in January. The 29-year-old was averaging 17.9 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from three while providing a steady second option to LeBron James.

With Love sidelined, developing a chemistry between James and Isaiah Thomas will be paramount. Thomas has missed much of the season due to injury, and the Cavs are just 5-6 in games he's played in since his return to action. Some rust is to be expected, of course, but Thomas is averaging just 15.6 points and 4.0 assists in 26.3 minutes per game this year.

That's a far cry from the 28.9 points and 5.9 assists he posted last season with the Boston Celtics.

It also means Jae Crowder will see more run at power forward. Crowder has struggled in 2017-18, averaging 8.6 points and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting 32.4 percent from three. The Cavaliers will likely play far more small ball, utilizing James at times as a stretch 4, while Channing Frye should see his minutes increase off the bench.

Love's injury also makes the upcoming NBA trade deadline an interesting one for the Cavaliers. Will it force the Cavs to aggressively seek a veteran addition to mitigate his loss? Would the Cavaliers have considered moving Love before the deadline? (That possibility is all but dead since it's hard to imagine a team will acquire a player who won't be in action for two months.)

The team has been linked to Sacramento Kings point guard George Hill in trade talks, for instance. For a Cavaliers team that hasn't jelled following the trade of Kyrie Irving this offseason, mixing things up again is an interesting risk-reward decision.

The risk is adding new players to the fold who have to adjust to Cleveland's system, causing yet another transition period. The reward, however, is finding players who better mesh together and adding more production to the roster, which could be key in Love's absence.

The power forward's injury has left the Cavaliers in uncertain territory, in other words.