Raptors' Kyle Lowry to Undergo Wrist Surgery, Out Indefinitely

The Toronto Raptors have been dealt a significant blow, as All-Star guard Kyle Lowry will undergo surgery to remove loose bodies in his right wrist on Tuesday.

The team said he's aiming to return for the playoffs, while Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the 30-year-old could miss four-to-five weeks with the possibility of returning for a few regular-season games. Lowry has been dealing with the wrist issue for a bit, but following the All-Star break the severity of it was speculated to be nothing serious. That changed over the past day or so, however, culminating with the team's announcement Monday afternoon that its best player was going under the knife.

Upon news of Lowry's removal from the starting lineup prior to the team's game against Portland on Sunday, head coach Dwane Casey talked to reporters about his star point guard's ailment, saying the images of the injury "weren't significant," and that it would be a "day-to-day thing."

Lowry apparently first started feeling mild soreness and pain in his wrist almost two weeks ago following the team's Feb. 15 victory over Charlotte. He went to New Orleans and went through with all his All-Star Weekend plans, including the 3-point contest on Saturday and the game on Sunday. Pain reportedly persisted throughout the eight-day break before it was surprisingly revealed Monday that he'd require surgery.

Lowry has been the undisputed leader of this Raptors team over the past few seasons, especially this year, where the veteran has averaged a career-best 22.8 points and 6.9 assists while shooting 46.3 percent from the field. He's also transformed into one of the league's top 3-point shooters, nailing a personal-best 41.7 percent from beyond the arc.

This is obviously a huge blow to a new-look Raptors team that's riding a three-game winning streak after making waves with a couple of big moves in the form of Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker. A number of players will have to step up for the team, with the suddenly attractive Delon Wright becoming an even more important piece for the team.

Toronto, which is battling for playoff positioning, sits tied with Washington for third in the East, three games back of the second-place Celtics and six behind the Cavaliers. The Raptors are also just 2.5 games ahead of the fifth-place Hawks for home-court advantage in the first round.