The Charlotte Hornets have been dealt a significant blow in their preparations for the upcoming 2018-19 NBA season, with news of incoming sophomore shooting guard Malik Monk suffering an injury that will keep him out for more than a month.

As reported by the Hornets Twitter account, Monk sustained a fracture on his right thumb during the team's Summer League matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The injury will keep him out of commission for at least six to eight weeks.

The bright side here is that the regular season does not start until late October, which means that it is highly probable that Monk will be ready for opening night. The recurrence of this type of injury is also unlikely, and it is not the type that will haunt him for the long term.

After being picked 11th overall by the Hornets in the 2017 NBA Draft, the 20-year-old had an unimpressive rookie campaign. He averaged only 6.7 points on 36 percent shooting, with 1.3 3-pointers, 1.0 rebound, 1.3 assists in 13.6 minutes off the bench.

Nonetheless, he did show some flashes of brilliance throughout the season, and is expected to have a much better sophomore year.

It has been a colorful offseason for the Hornets thus far. The club are in full revamp mode after moving on from former GM Rich Cho and handing over the reigns to former Los Angeles Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchack. The team also parted ways with head coach Steve Clifford after five seasons with the club, replacing him with former Gregg Popovich assistant and rookie coach James Borrego.

On the personnel side, Charlotte somewhat surprisingly offloaded big man Dwight Howard after a stellar year with the team. They used their 12th overall pick in the draft to scoop up Michigan State Spartans standout Miles Bridges. Most recently, the Hornets also signed veteran guard and four-time NBA champion Tony Parker after 17 seasons with the San Antonio Spurs.