Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk said that Hunter underwent successful surgery on his right knee Monday, Mike Conti of the Atlanta Hawks Radio Network reports. "Doctors say, typically, on average, these things are 7-to-10 weeks," Schlenk said of Hunter's projected recovery timeline. "And most of the guys are ready to go by eight weeks. So we're hopeful."

EDGE Analysis

The Hawks had previously indicated that Hunter would be re-evaluated in two weeks following surgery, but the 23-year-old was never considered likely to be ready to play by the end of February or early March. Schlenk's update provides further clarity on the matter, as Hunter now looks set to be sidelined until at least early April, if not longer. With Hunter now expected to miss roughly 25 to 35 games, he'll be tough to justify holding in most leagues, even though he should be ready to play by the time the regular season comes to an end. The knee injury is a tough setback for Hunter, who had taken a major step forward in his sophomore campaign with averages of 17.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.7 three-pointers and 0.9 steals in 32.2 minutes per game on 51.4 percent shooting from the floor and 87.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line. Kevin Huerter, Danilo Gallinari and Cam Reddish should be the main beneficiaries of Hunter's absence in the next few weeks, while Bogdan Bogdanovic (knee) should also see some added value when he's eventually able to return from a long-term injury of his own.