Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren will miss the upcoming NBA season with a right foot injury, the team announced on Thursday. The No. 2 pick in this year’s draft, Holmgren sustained a Lisfranc injury Saturday while defending LeBron James during a pro-am game in Seattle.

“Certainly, we are disappointed for Chet, especially given the excitement he had about getting on the floor with his teammates this season,” Thunder General Manager Sam Presti said in a statement.

Holmgren entered the June draft as one of its most intriguing prospects. At 7-foot-1, he blended his size with an impressive offensive repertoire and his ability to impact the game on the defensive side of the ball, although his lack of bulk at 195 pounds was a concern for some teams.

Those concerns didn’t deter the Thunder come June, when Orlando’s surprise selection of Paolo Banchero with the No. 1 pick left Jabari Smith available at No. 2, and threatened a Holmgren slide down the draft board. But Oklahoma City stayed the course and selected the Gonzaga freshman rather than taking Smith.

In Oklahoma City, Holmgren landed on a team committed to a patient developmental approach and one that could help shield him from questions about his physique early in his career. The team also added a pair of lottery picks in Ousmane Dieng and Jalen Williams.

Holmgren was expected to evolve into an exciting offensive contributor in Oklahoma City alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey, and quickly flashed that ability during his Summer League debut, where he scored 23 points on 4-of-6 from 3-point range, plus seven rebounds, six blocks and four assists in almost 24 minutes. He averaged 14.0 points and 8.4 rebounds in five games at the Las Vegas Summer League.

Months earlier, Holmgren, the highest-ranked recruit to sign with Gonzaga, was named West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. He helped lead the top-seeded Bulldogs to the Sweet 16, where they lost to Arkansas.

“We know Chet has a long career ahead of him within our organization and the Oklahoma City community,” Presti said. “One of the things that most impressed us during the process of selecting Chet was his determination and focus. We expect that same tenacity will carry him through this period of time as we work together and support him during his rehabilitation.”

TACKO FALL, formerly of the Maine and Boston Celtics, will continue his pro career abroad this fall after spending three seasons in the NBA, according to a report from the Athletic.

The 26-year-old, 7-foot-5 center is signing a one-year deal with Xinjiang in the Chinese Basketball Association. He spent the first two years of his NBA career in Boston as a two-way player. He was a fan favorite during his two years with the Celtics, splitting time between Portland and Boston during his rookie season. Fall averaged 2.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in his 19 games played in 2020-21.

Fall joined the Cavs last year in September as a free agent, eventually signing a two-way deal with the team during training camp before being released in January from that deal. He spent most of last season playing for Cleveland’s G-League affiliate, the Canton Charge after being released.

LAKERS: Patrick Beverley is returning to Los Angeles, this time joining LeBron James and the Lakers.

A fan favorite when he played for the Clippers, Beverley was acquired from the Utah Jazz in exchange for guard Talen Horton-Tucker and forward Stanley Johnson.

“Woke up a Laker!!! Its On!!!” Beverley wrote in a Tweet that included purple and gold heart emojis.

He averaged 9.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists for Minnesota last season. He started 54 of 58 games for the Timberwolves.

The 6-foot-1 guard is known for his ferocious defense that makes him popular with home crowds and a thorn to opposing players. Beverley played for the Clippers from 2017-21 until he was traded to the Wolves.