Dallas Mavericks officials confirmed a report Friday in the French newspaper L'Equipe that guard Rodrigue Beaubois was injured during a training session with the French national team.
Beaubois broke the fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot. Mavs officials are hoping it's a hairline fracture. The worst-case scenario is that the injury could require surgery, which would sideline Beaubois for approximately three months, putting him in jeopardy of missing the beginning of the NBA season.
The 22-year-old is scheduled to arrive in Dallas Monday so the Mavericks staff can evaluate the severity of the injury and treat it, according to team owner Mark Cuban.
"As long as he is ready at the beginning of the season, it will be fine," Mavericks owner Mark Cuban replied in an e-mail. "Might give [Mavericks first-round pick Dominique Jones] a chance to shine."
Beaubois, the 25th overall pick in the 2009 draft, averaged 7.1 points in a limited role as a rookie last season. Mavericks fans fell in love with his athleticism and scoring ability, lobbying for him to get more playing time.
Coach Rick Carlisle has vowed that Beaubois, who averaged 12.5 minutes in 56 games, would have a significantly increased role next season. The Mavericks are considering starting Beaubois at shooting guard.
The Mavericks hoped that Beaubois would also be able to handle backing up Jason Kidd at point guard. His development at that position was the focus of his offseason, but he played inconsistently for the Mavericks' summer league team, averaging 14.0 points, 3.0 assists and 4.2 turnovers per game.
Cuban has often voiced his disapproval over the years with NBA players' participation in international basketball. However, Cuban believed Beaubois could benefit from playing for the French team and gave his blessing. The French team planned for Beaubois to be its starting point guard with Tony Parker opting to rest this summer.
"I wouldn't consider it a setback," Nelson said in a text message. "It was a basketball development opportunity for Roddy. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be. I think he showed us what he was capable of last year."
Tim MacMahon covers the Mavericks for ESPNDallas.com. You can follow him on Twitter or leave a question for his weekly mailbag.