The Cleveland Cavaliers made one of the more impactful moves at the NBA trade deadline, acquiring 11-time All-Star James Harden from the Los Angeles Clippers. Harden’s time in Cleveland, however, has already hit a snag, as the guard suffered a fractured right thumb during the team’s win over the New York Knicks on Tuesday.
The injury was discovered after Tuesday’s 109-94 win over the Knicks. The team’s medical staff did an initial examination on Harden before sending him for X-rays Monday, which revealed the extent of the injury.
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Harden, who shoots left-handed, is undergoing further evaluation and is listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks, the team announced.
The news comes a day after Harden scored 20 points and played 32 minutes during the contest. It’s unclear when he sustained the injury.
Harden has seen a slight decline in his numbers since joining the Cavaliers, and is averaging 18.9 points with his new team. While he hasn’t been the same scoring threat in Cleveland just yet, the team has played well since bringing him on board. The Cavaliers have gone 6-1 since the trade, and are tied for third place in the Eastern Conference.
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The 36-year-old Harden reportedly intends to play through the injury, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. Harden will not undergo surgery on the thumb, and will try and gut it out, potentially wearing a wrap on his injured thumb.
It’s unclear whether Harden will miss time due to the issue. It’s possible he could sit out Wednesday’s game against the Bucks, but it sounds like he has the chance to return to the court soon, per Charania.