The Atlanta Hawks have been without Larry Nance Jr. for two games due to a hand injury. They have split them, though the caliber of opponents was vastly different.
After being nebulous in the initial announcement of the injury, Nance has a timeline.
“Larry Nance Jr. underwent surgery on Thursday, Jan. 2 to repair the fractured fourth metacarpal bone in his right hand. He will begin his rehabilitation process immediately,” the Hawks announced in a post on X on January 3.
“Nance Jr. will be re-evaluated in approximately two weeks and an updated timeline will be provided at that time.”
It is important to note that a re-evaluation does not equate to a return to the floor.
It is undoubtedly a step in the right direction, though. Nance is averaging 12.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.3 blocks across his last six appearances, which includes one start.
Quick strike from Jalen to Larry to beat the buzzer ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/rAED7NmJve
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) December 28, 2024
Nance was looking forward to pushing for a larger role.
Larry Nance Jr. robbed of opportunity with Hawks
“Larry Nance Jr. has had to get used to a new role this season because for the first time in his career, he hasn't been a rotation player,” FanDuel TV’s Tabitha Turner-Wilkins said during the Hawks’ game against the Memphis Grizzlies in December. “Larry told me that it's definitely been difficult. It has not been easy, and he'd be lying if he said it was easy. But it's also giving him a chance to get better at certain parts of his game that he hasn't been good at.
“Improving from beyond the arc was something that he wanted to be better about this offseason because it's a part of his game that he wasn't as good at. He said that he's gonna get a run in the rotation with Onyeka being out these next few games. His only hope is to make the decision for Quin Snyder and his coaches as difficult as possible once Onyeka returns.”
Nance is in the final year of a two-year, $21.5 million contract. He has drawn trade interest given his multi-faceted skill set and expiring contract.
However, Nance’s eventual return opens up other opportunities for the Hawks.
“The Hawks … would like to find Capela a new home before his contract expires after this season, sources say, with Atlanta confident in the long-term starting ability of Onyeka Okongwu,” Jake Fischer wrote for The Stein Line on December 19.
The Hawks cannot trade Capela without a backup for Okongwu, who has moonlit once again at power forward this season.
Cody Zeller remains away from the team, and youngster Mouhamed Gueye remains raw and better suited to play the 4 than the 5 spot. The Hawks have just over one month until the trade deadline, giving Nance time to be re-evaluated and, hopefully, return to the floor. What the Hawks do from there remains open and intriguing.