The Utah Jazz lost their top player for up to six weeks on Friday when forward Gordon Hayward broke his left ring finger during practice.
The injury occurred when Hayward’s hand became caught inside the jersey of a teammate, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. He was evaluated at the University of Utah Health Care Orthopaedic Center in the afternoon.
If Hayward is out six weeks to recover, he would miss the first 13 games of the regular season, which begins in two weeks.
No determination had been made whether surgery will be required on the finger of his non-shooting hand. It was stable and Hayward could move it.
In six NBA seasons, Hayward has averages of 14.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 443 games. Last season, he led the Jazz with a 19.7-point average and 3.7 assists.
The ninth overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft led the team with a 19.7-point average and 3.7 assists last season. He also averaged 5.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 2015-16.
The offseason acquisitions of veterans Joe Johnson and George Hill should help the Jazz fill the void until Hayward returns.