Sacramento Kings forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim's mouth will be wired shut for six weeks after he undergoes surgery to repair his broken jaw.

Abdur-Rahim's jaw was broken by an elbow from Portland's Zach Randolph in the third quarter of the Kings' loss to the Trail Blazers on Monday night. He was scheduled for surgery Wednesday night, and will be re-evaluated after two weeks, with no timetable set for his return.

Abdur-Rahim signed a five-year contract with the Kings last summer, hoping to reach the playoffs for the first time in 10 NBA seasons. He is Sacramento's third-leading scorer with 16.5 points per game and is making a career-best 54.7 percent of his shots. He is averaging 6.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists.

But Abdur-Rahim has struggled to fit into the Kings' motion offense, and the club has struggled in almost every area since his arrival. The loss to Portland dropped last-place Sacramento to 10-17, though the Kings recovered with a victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday despite missing three of their top four scorers.

Kings power forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim suffered a broken jaw against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night, X-rays revealed Tuesday.

There is no known timetable for Abdur-Rahim's absence. From Sacramento, Abdur-Rahim said he and trainer Pete Youngman will assess the situation Wednesday morning to decide on further measures.

Abdur-Rahim was hit in the jaw by Trail Blazers forward Zach Randolph but continued to play in the game. Abdur-Rahim said the X-ray was merely a precautionary measure, and he was surprised when the news came that his jaw was broken. He flew with the team to Los Angeles late Monday night and returned the next morning.

The Sacramento Kings have lost two of their top players to injuries, with Bonzi Wells expected to miss at least three weeks with a groin injury and Peja Stojakovic out a week or more with an injured back.

The Kings (10-15) are off to a rough start this season, but hoped to turn things around in a stretch when they'll play six out of seven games at home. However, they'll now start that stretch without two of their leading scorers.

Wells, who averages 15.1 points per game, has a partial tear to his right groin. Stojakovic, who is averaging 17.0 per game, is expected to miss a minimum of one week with a protruding disc in his lower back.

Kevin Martin is likely to start in Wells' place Thursday night against Dallas, but it's uncertain who will start at forward for Stojakovic.

Following the game with the Mavericks, the Kings host Portland next Monday before playing at the Los Angeles Clippers the following night. Then come four straight home games against Boston, Philadelphia, the Clippers and Indiana.

Charlotte forward Emeka Okafor left the Bobcats' game against the Sacramento Kings on Monday night with an apparent leg injury.

Okafor was hurt with 1:06 left in the third quarter when he and Sacramento's Francisco Garcia both went after a rebound and their legs smashed into each other under the basket. Both crumpled to the floor, but Okafor was clearly in serious pain.

He rolled around for a moment grasping his right leg, and was unable to put any pressure on it as he was taken to the locker room.

Earlier in the game, Charlotte guard Kareem Rush strained his left index finger to end his night, and Sacramento guard Bonzi Wells left with a strained groin.

Bonzi Wells' agent, William Phillips, said that while his client may be flattered by Jermaine O'Neal's remarks, he doesn't plan on going anywhere.

"They were teammates, have been friends, and both respect each other's game a lot, and there's nothing more to it," Phillips said. "Bonzi loves Sacramento. Indiana's home, but he loves Sacramento."

Jermaine O'Neal feels betrayed. The cocaptain of the Indiana Pacers feels tired. He said that having to deal with the latest, and he hopes last, Ron Artest flap has been ''like a slap in the face" because no one had Artest's back more than he did.

Whether it was tolerating Artest's daily zaniness or coming to his defense in the utter chaos of Nov. 19, 2004, at the Palace of Auburn Hills, ''I was the guy who stood up for him. I was the guy who vouched for him," O'Neal said in a lengthy discourse on Artest's absence and Artest's trade demand prior to last night's 85-71 loss to the Celtics.

''I don't hate him as a person. I wish him the best of luck," O'Neal said. ''I hope he achieves what he wants elsewhere. But as a player who has been there for him and been involved in certain situations with him, and for him, you expect more. But life isn't about getting what you want. Sometimes you have to deal with harder situations. This is harder to accept. I accepted it. I lost a lot. I have stepped up and vouched for him. Ron Artest doesn't matter to me as a teammate."

O'Neal, the Pacers' leading scorer and rebounder (he had 14 points and 10 rebounds last night), and best and highest-paid player, said he has two people in mind who would be more than suitable replacements for Artest: former teammate Al Harrington, now with Atlanta, and Bonzi Wells, now with Sacramento. Artest was not with the Pacers last night and Indiana president Donnie Walsh is fielding calls about him. Something could break today, when most players, such as Wells, who signed deals or were traded over the summer, can be relocated.

Harrington would be a natural, O'Neal surmised, because of his familiarity with the system and the team. Harrington spent the first six years of his career with the Pacers before being traded to the Hawks in the summer of 2004 for Stephen Jackson. And, O'Neal added, ''If it doesn't work out this year, [his salary] comes off the books."

As for Wells, O'Neal said, ''He fits in with what we do. We have a defensive-oriented team. He's a 6-6, 6-7 body who can play two different positions and thinks defense first. You deal [for] a player like that, it's easy for him to fit in, rather than a player who thinks offense first or pass, pass, or [dribbles] between the legs. We're not that type of team. There's been a lot of talk about [Peja] Stojakovic and I would definitely accept him with open arms. But if I had a preference, it would be Al or Bonzi Wells."

Charles Barkley reported that the Kings and Indiana Pacers have renewed discussions about a swap involving Peja Stojakovic and Ron Artest.

"Ask Geoff," Kings co-owner Joe Maloof said as he hurried toward his office, knowing that Petrie is as frozen-lipped as a statue.

Pressed about possible personnel moves the other day, Petrie replied tersely, "There are no trades in the works."

Regardless of whether he remains with the Kings, or even re-signs with the Kings, Stojakovic is at an obvious crossroads. The absence of emotion is crippling his career. The obvious lack of confidence is overwhelming his skill.