Report: Hornets' Kelly Oubre Jr. to Have Hand Surgery; Out 4-6 Weeks With Injury

Charlotte Hornets forward Kelly Oubre Jr. will miss four-to-six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left hand, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Oubre suffered the injury in the first week of the season and has attempted to play through the pain, per Charania.

The 27-year-old had missed three of the last four games with what was initially called a left hand sprain. He attempted to return after just one absence, but he was ruled out after just 14 minutes of last week's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. After sitting out the last two games with the injury, Oubre will now undergo surgery.

The injury slows what had been a breakout year for the former Kansas star.

Oubre is averaging 20.2 points per game this season, which would be a career-high, while adding 5.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. He reached double figures in every game this year until his limited appearance against the Thunder, and he scored at least 20 points in 17 of his first 34 games.

Despite his production, the eight-year veteran's efficiency has declined, with just a .486 effective field goal percentage, a steep drop from his .542 mark from last year.

The Hornets are 7.9 points per 100 possessions worse when Oubre is on the court this season, per Basketball Reference.

With LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward missing significant time due to injuries this year, the Hornets have struggled overall and entered Tuesday with a 10-28 record—second worst in the NBA.

The latest injury could cause even more problems as the team's depth is tested in the coming weeks. Jalen McDaniels should see the biggest boost in playing time, while James Bouknight could get another shot at increased minutes after falling out of the rotation.