Nets' Lopez suffers stress fracture, Okur acquired from Jazz

By Paul Levine Dec 23, 2011, 5:45 GMT

Los Angeles - The New Jersey Nets received an early Christmas present, but the lump of coal in their stocking wasn't what they were expecting.

Starting centre Brook Lopez is out indefinitely after suffering a stress fracture of the fifth metatarsal of his right foot during the first half of Wednesday's preseason game against the New York Knicks.

Surgery is scheduled for Friday, and although the Nets have not announced a timetable for his return, it is likely that Lopez will miss at least six weeks.

'It's not good to hear, but it is what it is,' Nets general manager Billy King told reporters at practice on Thursday. 'I'm just happy that it'll be something that he can recover from and get back on the court and play.'

'Definitely devastating,' Nets star guard Deron Williams said. 'Brook's a big part of our team. But there's one thing you learn in this business: the one thing you can't control is injuries. From what I understand it's not that severe, so hopefully he'll be on the court soon.'

As a result, the Nets will start the 2011-12 campaign without their ironman. Lopez has played in all 246 regular-season games since being drafted in the 2008. He averaged a team-best 20.4 points along with 6.0 rebounds last season for New Jersey.

Moving quickly to fill the gaping hole in the middle left by the seven-foot, 265-pound Lopez, the Nets acquired veteran centre Mehmet Okur from the Utah Jazz in exchange for a second-round draft pick in 2015.

'Mehmet will give us added scoring and size,' King said of the versatile Turkish native. 'His ability to shoot the three will help space the floor.'

Hampered by back and Achilles tendon injuries, Okur averaged just 4.9 points and 2.3 rebounds in 13 games last season. Those numbers are well below his career marks of 13.7 points and 7.1 boards per contest in 617 games since 2002.

Hours earlier, the Nets reached an agreement with shooting guard DeShawn Stevenson on a one-year contract worth 2.5 million dollars.

The 11-year veteran averaged 5.3 points per game for the NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks last season.

Elsewhere:

Looking to beef up their frontline, the LA Clippers signed veteran free agent forward Reggie Evans, who averaged 4.4 points and 11.5 boards in 30 games for Toronto last season.

The Atlanta Hawks inked veteran free agent guard Willie Green, who averaged 8.7 points and 2.1 rebounds in 77 games with New Orleans last year.

Kenyon Martin, who signed to play in China during the lockout, is coming home. The former Nuggets forward agreed to a buyout from Xinjiang and will become an unrestricted free agent, an NBA source told the Denver Post.

It is uncertain when Martin will return to the US, but he cannot sign with an NBA team until after his Chinese team's season ends in February.

In Thursday's exhibition results: Atlanta Hawks 92, Charlotte Bobcats 75: Josh Smith scored 21, rookie Ivan Johnson added 15 off the bench, and the host Hawks held the Bobcats to 29 second-half points, in the preseason finale for both clubs.

Denver Nuggets 110, Phoenix Suns 85: Danilo Gallinari scored 23 points, Corey Brewer came off the bench for half his 20 in decisive fourth quarter and the visiting Nuggets pulled away from the Suns, in final preseason game for each team.

Jared Dudley netted 17 points for Phoenix, which was outscored 31-17 in the final frame.