Cavaliers' J.R. Smith: To undergo thumb surgery Friday

Smith will undergo thumb surgery Friday, Chris Haynes of ESPN.com reports.

Analysis:

According to Haynes, the typical recovery timeline for this type of surgery is four-to-six weeks, so Smith is tentatively looking at that for his projected return, though the Cavaliers should provide an official announcement on the length of his expected absence Friday. DeAndre Liggins started at shooting guard in Smith's place during Wednesday's win over the Bucks, so look for him to continue to run with the top unit until further notice. Sixth man Iman Shumpert also saw added run off the bench, so he'll split the additional minutes made available in Smith's absence with Liggins. Both players possess limited offensive upside, so despite their increased roles, neither represents an especially interesting pickup outside of deeper leagues.