Charlotte Hornets rookie James Bouknight had surgery Monday to repair a tendon in his right pinky finger, the team announced Tuesday.
Out of precaution and the time it will take Bouknight to recover from the surgery, he will not participate in the NBA Summer League this year.
A 6-foot-5 guard out of UConn, the Hornets drafted Bouknight 11th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft. He played in 31 NBA games as a rookie, averaging 4.6 points and 1.7 rebounds in about 9.8 minutes per game.
Bouknight also played in five G-League games last season with the Greensboro Swarm. In five starts, he averaged 25.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and four assists per game while shooting 45.6 percent from the floor.
Charlotte went 43-39 this past season, losing in the play-in game to the Atlanta Hawks. The team then fired coach James Borrego after four seasons. Last week, it re-hired former coach Steve Clifford, who coached the team to two playoff appearances from 2013 to 2018.
Bouknight’s operation was performed by Dr. Brandon Valentine in Charlotte.
–Field Level Media