CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Hornets swingman Nicolas Batum will miss a minimum of six to eight weeks with a left elbow injury.
The team announced that an MRI on Thursday revealed the nine-year NBA veteran tore his ulnar collateral ligament in his non-dominant arm in the first quarter of Charlotte’s preseason road contest against the Pistons on Wednesday.
The Hornets have not decided if Batum will need surgery or will attempt to rehab the injury.
Batum, who signed a five-year, $120 million contract in 2016, was expected to start for Charlotte. Batum’s injury means Jeremy Lamb could be thrust into a starting role to open the regular season.
Batum last year became the first Charlotte player to score more than 1,000 points, grab 450 rebounds and hand out over 450 assists in a season.
___
More NBA basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball
Please read our comment policy before commenting.