Last week, the Oklahoma City Thunder's star player Russell Westbrook underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.

This means that when the Thunder begins training camp next week in preparation for preseason and the 2018-19 regular season ahead, they'll be doing so without their former MVP winner.

Westbrook is scheduled to have his knee injury re-evaluated in a few more weeks, but the fact he's not going to be on the court during that time period isn't a concern for the Oklahoma City.

The Thunder's general manager Sam Presti recently told reporters that the team will not rush Russ back into their lineup and that they'll wait before deciding what next steps to take with their star.

He said, via NBA.com: “We’d never push Russell or any player onto the floor. It was a pretty minor thing he had done. We’ll see how that re-evaluation goes."

Westbrook's re-evaluation of his knee injury is expected to take place around October 10, which is six days away from the Thunder's regular-season opener at the Golden State Warriors on October 16.

Note that this is a re-evaluation of the former MVP winner's injury and not a return date, meaning there is a chance that the Thunder star might not be ready to go for the team's season opener.

If Westbrook is to miss any time during the regular season, it would be a huge loss for Oklahoma City, as he's played a big part in the team's recent success in the Western Conference.

During the 2017-18 campaign, the seven-time All-Star averaged a triple-double for a second straight season, making him the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double in multiple seasons.

Westbrook finished averaging 25.4 points, a league-leading 10.3 assists, and 10.1 rebounds.

CLICK HERE to listen to Episode Two of the new GiveMeSport NBA podcast, featuring New York Times senior writer Marc Stein. Subscribe for all future episodes.