Luol Deng Injury: Updates on Miami Heat Star's Hand and Return

Miami Heat small forward Luol Deng suffered a hand injury versus the Atlanta Hawks Wednesday night and didn't return to the game. He was active Friday against Milwaukee.

Continue for updates.

Saturday, Dec. 6 

Deng Continues to Practice

The Heat provide an update on Deng's recovery:

Friday, Dec. 5

Deng Active Friday vs. Bucks

The Heat provided an update on Deng:

Wednesday, Dec. 3

Deng Injures Hand

The Miami Heat provided the details on Twitter:

Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports more detail:

A two-time NBA All-Star and consistently solid two-way player with the Chicago Bulls, Deng was shipped to the Cleveland Cavaliers in January 2014 and struggled in the new setting. In 40 games with the Cavs, Deng averaged just 14.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

Still, the Heat, in need of reliable veterans to help lessen the sting of losing LeBron James, were happy to welcome Deng on a two-year deal worth $20 million.

Heat president Pat Riley, via NBA.com, gushed over his newest addition at the time: "He is a proven All-Star and quintessential team player, both as a scorer, as well as an All-NBA defender. He brings the attitude of a warrior and competes every single night against the very, very best. We are thrilled to welcome him to the Heat family."

Although he's been typically dependable in terms of health throughout his career, Deng missed 19 games a year ago as he battled Achilles, ankle and back injuries. He's now in his 11th season and has played more than 700 NBA games including the playoffs, so it's not surprising that different problems are popping up.

If he's forced to miss a significant chunk of time, rookie James Ennis will likely take his spot in the starting lineup, while Shawne Williams and Danny Granger could also see an uptick in minutes.