A lateral meniscus tear in Spencer Hawes' knee was repaired in the arthroscopic procedure, with the Kings' rookie center and No. 10 pick in the June draft expected to be fully recovered in four to five weeks. In the current NBA climate in which "scopes" sometimes lead to dreaded microfracture surgery, there was reason for relief from the Kings.

"We didn't think there was anything ominous based on ... a couple of evaluations," Kings' basketball president Geoff Petrie said. "But it's always good to know for sure. He should be back pretty quickly."

The 19-year-old Seattle native already had undergone microfracture as a 14-year-old entering Seattle Prep High School. According to Kings' spokesman Troy Hanson, Hawes said he returned for another surgery six months later when the cartilage wasn't sufficiently restored. More recently, Hawes underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, missing five weeks before his freshman season at Washington.