Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud will miss the start of the NBA season with a right knee injury, the Associated Press reported.

The team said an MRI showed a patellar subluxation, which means his kneecap partly slipped out of place, the AP said. He will be checked again in about two weeks.

The news was better than feared, NBC Sports Bay Area reported. Raynaud stayed on the floor in pain for several moments during Saturday's preseason game against the Golden State Warriors and was taken off the court in a wheelchair.

Stanford Medicine doctor Marc Safran, who does not treat Raynaud, told NBC Sports California that two to three weeks is "not an unreasonable timeline." But he said it could take eight weeks to three months if swelling becomes a problem.

"The worst-case scenario would be needing surgery, which I think the likelihood of that is probably less than five percent," Safran said, according to the outlet.

Safran said the injury can come back, depending on how loose the joint is.

The average time missed for this injury in the NBA is about 14 days, NBC Sports reported, citing injury analyst Jeff Stotts.

Raynaud was hurt with 2:32 left in the second quarter of a 111-106 preseason loss, the AP reported. He had an MRI late Saturday.

Raynaud, 23, is a 7-foot-1 center from France, NBC Sports reported. He was a second-round pick and averaged 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds as a rookie last season, earning a spot on the league's All-Rookie second team.

The Kings see him as their center of the future, NBC Sports said. His absence leaves them thin at the position as the season begins.

What we know: Raynaud has a partly dislocated kneecap and will be checked again in about two weeks.
What we don't: When he will return to play.