The Milwaukee Bucks were dealt a tough blow during one of their most grueling matchups of the season last week. Key shooting guard Pat Connaughton suffered a fractured bone in his right hand, leaving midway through Milwaukee's loss to the Phoenix Suns. On Monday, the Bucks provided an update on Connaughton after the sharpshooter underwent surgery on his broken fourth metacarpal. Per the team's official Twitter account, Connaughton is expected to return in roughly four weeks.
That's definitely better news than the initial expectations from Bucks fans, with some even fearing that Connaughton's season would be over after initial reports on his hand injury surfaced. Fortunately, the broken bone won't keep him sidelined very long at all, as he could be up and running again by mid-March, which would be a huge plus for the Bucks.
The Bucks were rumored to be interested in Goran Dragic after the injury to Connaughton and the trade that saw Donte DiVincenzo leave town. It's unclear if the updated timeline on Connaughton's recovery will impact their interest in Dragic, though we'd expect the Bucks to remain firmly in the race to sign the Slovenian veteran.
On the season, Connaughton has averaged a career-high 10.1 points per game, on an impressive 40.7% clip from 3-point range. After starting his career in Portland, Connaughton joined the Bucks in 2018, and has steadily built an increased role within the team's rotation. His absence will be a blow to the team's perimeter scoring, though it's certainly uplifting news knowing his injury won't sideline him for much more than a month.