CANBERRA'S Patrick Mills will undergo surgery in Portland tomorrow after breaking his foot on the eve of his audition for the NBA.
Mills was in training with the Portland Trail Blazers ahead of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas when he stepped on a teammate's foot.
He felt a pop and left the court. Scans later revealed he had fractured the fifth metatarsal in his right foot.
The Trail Blazers drafted Mills at No55 in the recent NBA draft, but he needs to impress them during the off season to earn a place on their roster.
While the injury hurts Mills's chances of breaking into the NBA, Portland general manager Kevin Pritchard said the club would do all it could to create more opportunities for him.
''You never want to see a player get injured, but it is especially heart wrenching to see a young man go down on his first day of camp,'' Pritchard said.
''We'll do everything we can to help Patty get back on track to realise his NBA future.''
Mills's father Benny said the 20-year-old was deeply disappointed, but determined to get back on court as soon as possible.
For more, pick up a copy of today's Canberra Times
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