Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter injures right wrist, will need surgery

Starting Hawks small forward De’Andre Hunter has injured a tendon in his right wrist that will require surgery, per a team press release. The 6-8 wing will undergo a procedure on Monday. Shaw adds that Hunter will be sidelined for at least eight weeks while he recuperates.

Atlanta discovered the injury via an MRI scan on the wrist. Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution adds (Twitter link) that this means Hunter will now be available, at the earliest, during the second week of January 2022. The 5-9 Hawks need all the help they can get. Hunter suffered the injury in a Nov. 8 loss to the Warriors.

In the absence of Hunter on Sunday against the Bucks, the Hawks elevated recently extended swingman Kevin Huerter to the starting small forward slot. Atlanta beat Milwaukee 120-100. Wing Cam Reddish and forward Danilo Gallinari should also benefit from Hunter’s absence, from a minutes perspective.

As  JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors notes (via Twitter), the injury-prone Hunter was also limited to just 23 of 72 contests during the 2020-21 season, and missed most of the Hawks’ Eastern Conference Finals playoff run.

The fourth pick in the 2019 draft out of Virginia, Hunter is averaging 10.8 PPG and 2.7 RPG through 11 games this season, on .450/.395/.400 shooting. That free throw percentage is not a typo.