The NBA announced that Nuggets rookie big man Jusuf Nurkic will replace Thunder center Steven Adams on the World Team for the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge.
Adams underwent surgery on Monday to repair a fracture in the fourth metacarpal of his right hand. The second year man out of Pittsburgh via New Zealand was averaging seven points and seven rebounds a game this season. He is expected to miss three weeks.
Nurkic, the 16th overall pick of the 2014 draft, was acquired by the Nuggets in a draft-day trade with the Bulls. The 20-year-old from Bosnia has appeared in 39 games this season, averaging 6.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 16.7 minutes.
The BBVA Rising Stars Challenge will take place this Friday, with the new format of USA vs World as the teams. The game will be played at the Nets home, Barclays Center in Brooklyn, with Tipoff scheduled at 9pm on TNT.
