Cleveland Cavaliers guard Larry Hughes will be out longer than expected because his broken finger hasn’t healed as quickly as the team had hoped, the Cavaliers said Thursday. Hughes, the team’s second-leading scorer, was to miss six to eight weeks after having surgery Jan. 4 on his right middle finger. But doctors at the Cleveland Clinic examined the injury Thursday and concluded his recovery was behind schedule.
The team does not have an expected return date for Hughes, 26, who was averaging 16.2 points and 3.9 assists. He started the first 28 games for the Cavs before sitting out the Jan. 4 game against Milwaukee.
Hughes has suffered a variety of injuries in his NBA career, including a broken right thumb and left wrist, a sprained right ankle and a strained right shoulder. The Cavaliers signed Hughes to a five-year, $60 million contract in the offseason.