Washington Wizards fourth-year forward Kwame Brown said Sunday that his surgically repaired right foot "more than likely" will keep him out until December.

"It really doesn't make sense -- the team is doing well -- for me to rush back and hurt myself again," he said. "I want to come back and be back."

The Wizards are off to a 2-1 start with Brown on the injured list. When he returns, he will have a lot at stake. The former No. 1 pick wasn't able to agree on a contract extension with the Wizards before the Oct. 31 deadline, meaning that he will become a restricted free agent next summer. A source familiar with the negotiations said the Wizards offered Brown a four-year deal worth $7.5 million per season, with a team option for a fifth year.

"I just thought it was better for me to wait it out," Brown said. "It's a gamble, but I'm betting on me. I have a lot of confidence. Prior to the injury, I was working pretty hard, lifting and I was getting a lot stronger."

A team source said the team plans to match any offer Brown receives next summer. Either way, Brown said his desire is to remain in Washington.

"Yeah, of course," he said. "I think now that we have what we have, I don't see why we can't keep this thing together; stop sending players here and there and just keep a foundation.

"I look at it as a positive," Brown said of his pending free agency. "It gives me a chance to play for me, to showcase what I can do, and what I can do for the team. The better I am as an individual, the better we are as a team.

"It's not like I'm going to be 100 percent when I come back. I'll just come back and whatever I can give, give it as we go along. I can build in the last couple of months [and] hopefully in the playoffs, we can make that push."

Brown sprained his left ankle last week, landing on teammate Larry Hughes's foot during a drill. He will wear a protective boot on his left foot until Tuesday. The ankle injury isn't serious but it has made Brown "slow down a little bit," he said.

Brown targeted the middle of November for his return but he is still reluctant to put pressure on his right foot.

"I'm just thinking I'm going to break it again," he said. He can't spin or pivot on it and Brown said he was limited to light jogging on the treadmill before he sprained his left ankle.

"I haven't jumped or done wind sprints since this injury," said Brown, who had a screw inserted in his right foot in August.

"I missed a lot of work, with training camp and all that stuff. If I put myself out there, I'd get killed. People say come back this month. What am I going to do? I can't get up off this leg yet."