Seattle Sonics General manager Rick Sund announced today that third-year center Robert Swift suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament during Wednesday’s preseason game vs. Sacramento. The extent of the injury was revealed in an MRI performed yesterday and examined by team physicians this morning.

The injury will require surgery and has a typical rehabilitation period of eight to nine months.

“We’re very disappointed for Robert, especially given all the hard work he put in this offseason,” Sund said. “Robert had recently been named the starting center for Opening Night, which is a testament to the strides he had made since last season. While we feel for Robert and wish him a speedy recovery, we’re fortunate to have depth at the center position and will still be ready to tip off the season next week.”

Swift appeared in seven preseason games for the Sonics, averaging 3.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.14 blocks in 19.0 minutes per contest. The 12th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, Swift has appeared in 63 regular season games in his two seasons with the team and holds career averages of 5.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game.