23 Fred VanVleet PG

VanVleet (thumb) has opted for surgery and will miss about five weeks, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.

In order to repair ligament damage in his right thumb, VanVleet will go under the knife despite earlier reports that he would simply be wearing a splint, which would keep him out three weeks. With the reserve point guard out for about a month and Delon Wright now in Memphis, Jeremy Lin figures to take on a sizeable role with the Raptors.

VanVleet will wear a splint for approximately three weeks after suffering a partial ligament injury to his left thumb, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun reports.

VanVleet apparently suffered the injury during the second quarter of Saturday's win over the Knicks, and additional testing revealed the issue to be serious enough to warrant a few weeks on the shelf. The guard will spend the next three weeks in a splint before being re-evaluated. In his absence, Jeremy Lin, who is expected to join the Raptors after his buyout from Atlanta is completed, should step into his role as backup point guard.

VanVleet is listed as doubtful for Monday's game against the Nets due to a thumb injury, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun reports.

Specifics regarding the injury remain unclear at the moment, but it sounds like the issue will force VanVleet to miss at least one game. Should the guard sit out, Norman Powell, Patrick McCaw and Jordan Lloyd are candidates to see a slight uptick in minutes.

VanVleet tallied 30 points (11-22 FG, 4-11 3Pt, 4-5 FT), six assists and five rebounds across 37 minutes in Thursday's 119-101 win over the Hawks.

VanVleet entered the starting five with Kawhi Leonard's (concussion) absence, and made the most of it, dropping a season-high scoring total in his best game of the season. There's room to improve with efficiency, but he has shown an ability to be a reliable option on both sides of the court.

VanVleet will start Thursday's game against the Hawks, Blake Murphy of The Athletic reports.

With Kawhi Leonard (knee) out of commission Thursday, the Raptors will pivot to a smaller lineup with VanVleet and Kyle Lowry in the backcourt. VanVleet played 25 minutes off the bench in Tuesday's game against Philadelphia, but he finished with only three points and two assists.