The Cleveland Cavaliers management announced on Wednesday that J.R. Smith will be temporarily sidelined due to a fractured right thumb. The Cavs added that there is no definite timeline for Smith's return since he will undergo a surgery and his return will depend on the operation's outcome and doctor's recommendation.

Like Us on Facebook

According to ESPN, the typical recovery time for a thumb injury is four to six weeks. However, the Cavs management said that the timeline of Smith's return will be determined once his surgery is completed.

Following Smith's injury, several rumors have surfaced claiming that the Cavs management is looking to trade the 31-year-old guard. Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue immediately dismissed the rumors claiming that the management is not looking to trade Smith at the moment.

When asked about the possibility of trading Smith because of the injury, Lue said, "As of right now, no we haven't. It just happened yesterday, and I had a chance to talk to (Cavs general manager David Griffin) a little bit before I came in here, but we haven't discussed it yet."

Lue is still confident with his team's lineup, despite the imminent absence of Smith although he did admit that losing him will have a significant impact on the Cavs' defense and will miss his sharpshooting skills.

According to Fox Sports, Smith was forced to leave the court 17 minutes into the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday after sustaining the injury. Initial X-ray tests taken at the Bradley Center were inconclusive, and Smith was forced to travel back to Cleveland so that he can be re-evaluated by the Cavs' medical team.

TagsJR Smith, Cavs, NBA, cleveland cavaliers, jr smith injury, cavs injury, cavaliers