Pat Connaughton rebounds the ball against the Phoenix Suns on Feb. 10, 2022 at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
Hours after trading some of its perimeter depth, Milwaukee lost more of it to injury.
Pat Connaughton suffered a fracture to the fourth metacarpal of his right hand in the Bucks’ 131-107 loss at Phoenix on Thursday. There was no immediate timeline for his return to action after exiting the game for good.
Milwaukee dealt Donte DiVincenzo to Sacramento before Thursday’s trade deadline in exchange for veteran big man Serge Ibaka, part of a larger four-team transaction. The move helped solidify the defending champions’ frontcourt, which has been thin due to Brook Lopez’s continued absence after undergoing back surgery on Dec. 2.
Now the Bucks could be forced to rely more on Grayson Allen and Wesley Matthews to man the swingman minutes vacated by DiVincenzo and Connaughton.
A second-round pick by Brooklyn in 2015, Connnaughton is averaging a career-best 10.2 points while shooting 41.3% from 3-point range this season.