Blazers Notes: Roster Decisions, Lillard, Moda Center, Future
It’s unlikely that the Trail Blazers will make any roster decisions until after the All-Star break, Joe Freeman of the Oregonian reports (subscription required).
Two-way players Sidy Cissoko (49 games) and Caleb Love (44) are near their respective 50-game limits and would need to be signed to standard contracts to remain eligible for NBA contests. Portland already has a full 15-man roster.
Rayan Rupert and Matisse Thybulle are the players most likely to go if one or both two-way players get a promotion, Freeman writes. It’s also possible the Blazers may sign a veteran player who clears waivers.
Here’s more on the Blazers:
- Damian Lillard was joking around with Michael Levine, a marketing executive for the NBA, about participating in the three-point contest at All-Star weekend. When one competitor dropped out, the joke became a reality, as Jason Quick of The Athletic details. Lillard has been on the mend all season from the Achilles tear he suffered with Milwaukee during last year’s playoffs. “All-Star Weekend needs stars,” Lillard said. “People want to see stars competing.” Lillard said a challenge like this is just what he needs during the drudgery of injury rehab. “I need some competition,” he added. “I’ve just been working out, not playing, so I need some type of competition. I just need a bump.”
- Renovations could be coming soon to Moda Center, the team’s longtime arena. Efforts to secure public funding for renovations formally ramped up on Monday with the introduction of a bill in the Oregon Senate that drew widespread support from government leaders, including Gov. Tina Kotek, Bill Oram of The Oregonian reports. The bill will be sent to the Senate Committee on Rules and have its first hearing on Wednesday morning.
- Will renovations for the arena or the impending ownership change assure that the Blazers will remain in Portland long-term? Writing for The Oregonian, Oram says he isn’t so sure that the NBA considers Portland a major-league city or that city leaders prioritize sports and are willing to make the necessary investments.
Blazers Notes: Deadline, Cissoko, Love, Thybulle, Krejci, Arena
After making a minor move at the start of the week to acquire Vit Krejci from Atlanta, the Trail Blazers didn’t make any additional trades between Monday and Thursday. As Joe Freeman of The Oregonian writes, that was a relief to the Blazers’ players, who admitted to being nervous in the days leading up to the deadline.
“The players were joking around a little bit, (saying) ‘We’re all back,'” interim head coach Tiago Splitter said on Thursday. “I get it. There’s a little bit of tension. But I’m glad everybody’s back. Everybody’s happy to be here and ready to move forward and finish the season.”
Although Portland didn’t shake up its roster in a major way, there will be some changes coming to the rotation. Krejci will have a chance to earn regular minutes, and point guard Scoot Henderson is making his season debut on Friday vs. Memphis after recovering from a hamstring tear. Forward Deni Avdija is out on Friday for a third straight game due to a low back strain, but when he returns, the Blazers will be as healthy as they’ve been all season.
“I’m happy to have that challenge, make them produce and excel at their positions,” Splitter said. “Guys that were used to playing more minutes (are) going to play a little less. Guys that were out (are) going to start to play more minutes and produce for us. We have still like 30 games or so left. Hopefully, this is the normal for us from now on.”
Here’s more on the Blazers:
- One downside of Portland’s deadline inactivity is that the team still has a full 15-man roster, with two-way players Sidy Cissoko and Caleb Love on track to reach their respective 50-game limits this month, writes Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Substack link). Highkin views Cissoko as the more likely candidate for a promotion, since he has a clearer role than Love when the team is healthy, and suggests Matisse Thybulle could be a buyout candidate. Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (Twitter link) agrees that Thybulle could be the odd man out, though he says no decision has been made on the wing’s future yet.
- Krejci said earlier this week that he’s “very excited” to join the Blazers, adding that they have a “really great roster,” according to Freeman. “I think this team has a lot of good drivers and that opens (things) up,” Krejci said. “As a shooter, you love playing with guys like that, because they keep slashing, they keep going at the rim.”
- While the Trail Blazers’ basketball operations department ended up having a relatively quiet deadline, the organization’s business operations department is negotiating a crucial deal of its own. According to Bill Oram of The Oregonian, the Blazers continue to work with state, city, and county officials in an effort to secure roughly $600MM in funding viewed as necessary to upgrade the Moda Center and keep the team in Portland long term.
- As Oram details, Multnomah County is believed to be reluctant to commit approximately $40MM in business tax revenue from the Blazers’ sale to the arena renovation. The city of Portland is also receiving push-back on plans to pull as much as $75MM from a clean energy fund to put toward the project, according to Shane Dixon Kavanaugh and Oram of The Oregonian. Oregon governor Tina Kotek spoke to commissioner Adam Silver last week, per Oram, in an effort to reinforce her support for the arena deal and to ensure the team doesn’t consider relocation under a new ownership group led by Tom Dundon. The Blazers’ Moda Center lease agreement with the city runs through 2030.
Siegel’s Latest: Bitadze, Spurs, Celtics, Drummond, Nuggets
Of the three players (Tyus Jones, Goga Bitadze and Jonathan Isaac) the Magic have made available in an effort to dip below the luxury tax line, Bitadze has drawn the most trade interest, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.
Citing league sources, Siegel says the Spurs are one of the teams intrigued by the 26-year-old center, who has been repeatedly linked to Toronto in 2025/26. Bitadze was also mentioned as a possible Knicks target on Saturday.
Robert Williams of the Trail Blazers is another big man the Spurs might be interested in, according to Siegel, who hears injured Blazers wing Matisse Thybulle could be a buyout candidate if he isn’t moved prior to the February 5 deadline.
Here’s more from Siegel:
- Ownership hasn’t put any pressure on president of basketball operations Brad Stevens to reduce the Celtics‘ luxury tax bill ahead of the deadline, sources tell Siegel. Anfernee Simons has long been viewed as a possible trade chip, Siegel notes, and while there’s still a chance he could be moved if Boston can find a frontcourt upgrade, the 26-year-old combo guard has played well in his first season in Boston, which has exceeded outside expectations in ’25/26.
- The Sixers are reportedly open to trading Andre Drummond, who is on an expiring $5MM contract. Moving the 32-year-old center, who has led the league in rebounds per game four times, would put Philadelphia below the tax after the team received a variance credit following Paul George‘s 25-game suspension. Siegel hears the Rockets are a team with some interest in Drummond. Houston recently lost backup center Steven Adams for the remainder of the season due to a Grade 3 left ankle sprain, which required surgery.
- The Nuggets, who are about $400K over the tax threshold, have talked to the Jazz about a trade that would send Hunter Tyson to Utah, according to Siegel, who suggests Denver might put protections on its lone second-round pick (2032) in that sort of cost-cutting deal.
Trail Blazers Provide Injury Updates On Holiday, Thybulle, Henderson, Grant
Jrue Holiday has been “cleared for a progression of on-court basketball activities” as he works his way back from a right calf strain that has kept him out of action since November 14, the Trail Blazers announced in a press release.
The 35-year-old guard has only appeared in 12 games since being acquired from Boston in an offseason trade. He was a full-time starter before the injury and was averaging 16.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists in 33.4 minutes per night.
The release from the Blazers doesn’t offer a timetable of when Holiday might return to action, stating that “availability will be determined based on functional response to loading and updated accordingly.”
The team also provides updates on several other players, stating that Matisse Thybulle is progressing toward a return after undergoing thumb surgery in late October. The release states that Thybulle has been “working on a progressive ramp-up” but is experiencing persistent symptoms of right knee tendinopathy. Thybulle appeared in four games prior to the surgery.
Scoot Henderson, who hasn’t played yet this season because of a hamstring issue, has begun “non-contact, on-court basketball activities.” The No. 3 pick in the 2023 draft will be reevaluated in two weeks.
Jerami Grant, who has been sidelined since December 18 with left Achilles tendonitis, is traveling with the team on its current road trip and is considered day-to-day. The 31-year-old forward is viewed as a potential trade candidate ahead of the February 5 deadline.
Northwest Notes: Blazers, Grant, Thunder, B. Brown
On the heels of a three-game winning streak that put them in play-in position, the Trail Blazers have lost back-to-back games at home and have slipped to 12-18, a half-game ahead of Dallas for the No. 10 spot in the Western Conference.
As Joe Freeman of The Oregonian writes in a subscriber-only story, what was supposed to be a season of hope for a Blazers team looking to build on last season’s strong second-half run has turned into a season of frustration, with head coach Chauncey Billups arrested on federal charges in October and several key players missing time due to injuries.
There has been no indication that Jrue Holiday (calf), Matisse Thybulle (thumb), or Scoot Henderson (hamstring) are on the verge of returning to provide reinforcements, Freeman writes. And after Tuesday’s loss to Orlando, Portland has now dropped 11 “clutch-time” games (defined as being within five points with less than five minutes to play), tied for the second-highest total in the NBA.
Still, head coach Tiago Splitter vowed that his team will stick together and continue battling, expressing confidence that the Blazers’ hard work will eventually pay off. That message was echoed by his players.
“We have a great group of guys,” Blazers forward Deni Avdija said. “They’re very strong mentally. And I think our team camaraderie is really good. I think we’re getting along with each other really good. We’re talking. Our chemistry is amazing. It’s one of the best chemistry teams that I’ve been on in a while. And I think, as you see, we just continue to fight. We’re not going to back off. And I think this is our identity. We believe in each other, we believe in ourselves as a team. It’s only going to make us better.”
We have more from around the Northwest:
- Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant, considered a potential in-season trade candidate, missed a third consecutive game on Tuesday. As Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report tweets, Grant’s injury is now being referred to by the team as left Achilles tendonitis rather than Achilles soreness.
- Although the Thunder have lost three of their past five games following their 24-1 start, Rylan Stiles of SI.com argues that Oklahoma City should stand pat at the trade deadline, writing that it’s not worth risking the chemistry of a tight-knit team for an upgrade that might prove to be marginal. The Thunder would be better off betting on continued internal improvements, Stiles says, including Ajay Mitchell getting more comfortable in his new role and Jalen Williams getting back to 100% following his offseason wrist surgery.
- Nuggets guard Bruce Brown and Rockets forward Kevin Durant used to play together in Brooklyn, but the former Nets teammates engaged in a verbal back-and-forth both during and after Houston’s win on Saturday, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscription required). “Some words were said that’s a little disrespectful. I can’t wait to see him next time,” Brown said, explaining that he felt Durant said something to him that crossed a line. “As a man, there’s certain things you don’t say to another man.” Durant showed little remorse when informed of Brown’s post-game remarks. “I definitely wanted to cross the line tonight,” the Rockets star said with a smile. “That’s basketball. That’s in between the lines. Ain’t no respect. Ain’t no love. Nothing. People don’t show love to me. They cross the line a lot with their physicality. It’s just part of the game. Some people can talk and play. Some people can’t. I had to learn how to talk and play as a player. So I think Bruce is probably learning the same thing.”
Northwest Notes: J. Williams, Randle, Holiday, Thybulle, Bailey
Jalen Williams was back on the court Friday night, adding another weapon to the Thunder’s already-potent lineup, writes Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman. Returning to the starting lineup in his season debut, Williams scored 11 points in 29 minutes and handed out eight assists as Oklahoma City defeated Phoenix to advance to the next round of NBA Cup competition.
“Just pass the ball to the guys who’ve been playing was the goal for tonight,” Williams told reporters. “I’m also joining a team that’s 18-1 up until when I played, so you try to fit in a little bit offensively and not mess up the rotations. And then obviously (Isaiah Hartenstein) and Ajay (Mitchell) don’t play tonight either, so it’s like now our rotations are even more different. I’m just trying to pick and choose spots and mesh with what the team is doing.”
Friday marked the end of a long recovery process for Williams, who underwent surgery to repair a torn scapholunate ligament in early July, shortly after the end of the NBA Finals. He needed a second procedure in late October to take out a screw that was causing irritation.
Martinez notes that Williams, who was a second-team All-Defensive selection last season, displayed his versatility in Friday’s game by serving as the primary defender on 10 different Phoenix players, ranging from point guard Collin Gillespie to center Mark Williams. He held them to a combined 3-of-14 from the field.
“Defense is very easy compared to offense, especially when you lose your right hand for five months,” Williams added. “I can always play hard defensively and figure it out from there. It’s going to take some time (with shooting). Like I said, I haven’t played in forever. … I’m still trying to figure my way out through my jump shot and dribbling and trying to get my touch back. That’s just something that’s got to progress throughout the season. But defensively, my feet feel fine and my wind is actually really good. I can always do that.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Timberwolves coach Chris Finch plans to expand Julius Randle‘s role in the offense, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link).“We need to put him more in the heart of what we’re doing,” Finch said at Friday’s practice, “and that’s a lot of things we worked on today.”
- Trail Blazers interim coach Tiago Splitter said Jrue Holiday is “getting better” as he works his way back from a calf injury that has sidelined him for the past seven games, tweets Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report. Holiday was able to participate in some non-contact drills at Saturday’s practice, but hasn’t received full clearance from the medical staff. Splitter added that Matisse Thybulle, who is recovering from thumb surgery and hasn’t played since October 26, is doing some shooting and ball-handling work, but also hasn’t been cleared for full contact.
- Jazz rookie forward Ace Bailey is considered day-to-day after suffering a bruise on his right knee in Friday’s game, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link).
Blazers’ Thybulle Undergoes Thumb Surgery, Out 4-6 Weeks
Trail Blazers wing Matisse Thybulle underwent surgery on Friday morning to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb and will be reevaluated in four-to-six weeks, the team announced (via Twitter).
According to the Blazers, Thybulle sustained the thumb injury during Wednesday’s game in Utah. The 28-year-old had an MRI on Thursday, which revealed the UCL tear.
It’s a tough blow for the guard/forward, who is now in his seventh NBA season. Thybulle is on an expiring $11.5MM contract and will be an unrestricted free agent next summer unless he signs a veteran extension before the league year ends on June 30, 2026.
After playing at least 65 games in each of his first five seasons, Thybulle was limited to just 15 contests in ’24/25 due to knee and ankle injuries. The former first-round pick, who was selected 20th overall in 2019, is mostly known for his athleticism and top-tier defense, having been named to a pair of All-Defensive teams (in 2021 and 2022).
In four appearances this fall, Thybulle has averaged 5.0 points and 2.5 steals in just 12.3 minutes per game. It’s a very small sample size (49 minutes), but Portland has been much better when Thybulle is on the court (+21.0 net rating) than when he’s not playing (+1.8).
On a more positive note, oft-injured center Robert Williams will make his season debut on Friday versus Denver, interim head coach Tiago Splitter told reporters, including Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Twitter link). Williams had been listed as questionable to suit up.
Third-year wings Kris Murray and Rayan Rupert are candidates for more playing time while Thybulle recovers from thumb surgery.
Injury Notes: Trail Blazers, Knicks, Heat, Pelicans
While he’s not sure who will be ready for Wednesday’s season opener against Minnesota, head coach Chauncey Billups said Toumani Camara (knee), Deni Avdija (back), Robert Williams (knee) and Matisse Thybulle (knee) were full participants in Monday’s practice, tweets Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report.
Williams, who has been plagued by knee issues throughout his career, was limited to just 20 games last season. He didn’t play at all during the preseason, nor did Thybulle, who appeared in just 15 games last season due to knee and ankle issues.
Camara, the recipient of a new four-year, $81MM extension, appeared in two preseason games, while Avdija played in all four but exited the finale with upper back stiffness.
We have more injury updates from around the NBA:
- The Knicks may be without a pair of key rotation players for their regular season opener vs. Cleveland, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Josh Hart (back spasms) and Mitchell Robinson (load management) didn’t practice Monday, and head coach Mike Brown isn’t sure if either player will be available Wednesday. “Everything we’re doing with him is about managing his workload, which we’ll do the whole year,” Brown replied when asked if there is an injury for Robinson.
- Rookie guard Kasparas Jakucionis (right groin strain) and second-year Kel’el Ware (neck spasms) were unable to practice Monday for the Heat, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). Ware is being evaluated by a doctor, Chiang adds. Miami’s regular season begins Wednesday in Orlando.
- Lottery pick Derik Queen went through a full practice Saturday for the first time since undergoing left wrist surgery in July. While the Pelicans big man thinks he could play in Wednesday’s opener at Memphis, head coach Willie Green was careful to temper expectations after a lengthy layoff, writes Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com. “We’ve got to listen to how his body is responding,” Green said. “This is his first time playing with contact in a few months. We don’t want to rush. If he’s ready, that’s another conversation that we’ll have.” Second-year center Karlo Matkovic was unable to practice Saturday due to an elbow injury the team continues to evaluate, Green added.
Blazers Notes: Lillard, Henderson, Grant, Camara, Clingan, More
Asked at the Trail Blazers‘ media day on Monday if there’s any scenario in which he plays this season, Damian Lillard admitted it’s hard to envision making it back from his Achilles tear before the 2026/27 campaign.
“I don’t plan on it,” Lillard said of playing in ’25/26, per Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Twitter link). “I feel like if this team is a one seed (without me), they probably got it. I’m trying to be as healthy as possible.”
Lillard added that the trainers and other players who have sustained Achilles injuries who have spoken to him about the recovery process have stressed patience and suggested that he shouldn’t be trying to make it back “in record time” (Twitter link via Highkin).
Although he almost certainly won’t be suiting up for the Trail Blazers this season, Lillard will still be one of the 15 players on the team’s standard roster, which head coach Chauncey Billups believes puts the longtime star point guard in a unique position when it comes to mentoring Portland’s younger players.
“He’s not a coach. He’s still a player. There’s a different level of connectivity that comes with that,” Billups said, noting that he wants Lillard to “keep a really close eye” on Shaedon Sharpe, Deni Avdija, and Scoot Henderson (Twitter link via Highkin).
Henderson, like Lillard, will be unavailable when the season begins, though his hamstring injury is only projected to keep him out for the start of the season, not all of it. Speaking on Monday to reporters, he referred to the injury as a “freak accident” and “minor setback” and said he’s still feeling positive about the season (Twitter links). Billups noted it’s a disappointing turn of events for the former No. 3 overall pick because he’d had an “incredible summer” prior to the injury (Twitter link).
Here’s more from the Blazers’ media day, via Highkin:
- Billups said on Monday that there are “a lot of ways” the Trail Blazers’ starting lineup could go this fall and that the players who want starting jobs will have to earn them (Twitter link). Interestingly, when forward Jerami Grant was asked about the possibility of coming off the bench, he replied, “I don’t really expect that” (Twitter link). There had been some speculation this offseason that Grant could be asked to accept a reserve role due to the emergence of young forwards Avdija and Toumani Camara.
- Speaking of Camara, he’s eligible to sign a contract extension but said on Monday that he’s leaving that up to his agent. “I’m just focused on basketball,” Camara said (Twitter link). “I’m trying to stay away from that right now. If I take care of my business on the court, everything will work itself out.”
- With Deandre Ayton no longer in Portland, second-year center Donovan Clingan will be looking to play a major role. He said on Monday that he has worked on improving his conditioning and is aiming to average 30-plus minutes per night (Twitter link). Rookie big man Yang Hansen will be among the players vying for minutes in the middle, with Billups referring to the No. 16 overall pick as “right there in the mix” for minutes. “I think Hansen’s done a really good job of getting situated and understanding what we’re doing,” Billups said (Twitter link). “He’s definitely going to play.”
- Big man Robert Williams, who underwent a procedure on his knee in March and has been limited to 26 games in two seasons since arriving in Portland, said he’s not sure when he’ll be cleared to play, though he and the training staff have a target date in mind (Twitter links).
- Jrue Holiday and Matisse Thybulle are among the players who expressed enthusiasm on Monday about the defensive potential of the Blazers’ roster (Twitter links). “Playing games in your mind of what lineups we can put out there is pretty fun,” Thybulle said. “We have a few All-Defense-level players. I think we can put some ridiculous lineups out there.”
Blazers’ Matisse Thybulle Opting In For 2025/26
Trail Blazers wing Matisse Thybulle is opting into the final year of his contract by exercising his player option for 2025/26, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link).
Thybulle signed a three-year, $33MM deal with Portland during the summer of 2023 that included a third-year player option worth $11.55MM. By picking up that option, the 28-year-old will guarantee his salary for ’25/26. His decision had been due by the end of the day on Tuesday, so this news was expected.
A defensive ace who earned a spot on the All-Defensive second team in both 2021 and 2022 as a member of the Sixers, Thybulle was dealt from Philadelphia to Portland at the 2023 trade deadline and has been a Blazer since then.
While his offensive production has always lagged well behind his contributions on defense, the former 20th overall pick has been a little more productive in Portland, bumping his three-point percentage to 36.8% after hitting just 32.5% of his attempts from beyond the arc with the 76ers. He has averaged 6.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.8 steals in 23.6 minutes per game across 102 appearances in Portland.
Thybulle was limited to 15 outings in 2024/25 for health reasons. He underwent a procedure in October, just before the start of the regular season, to address inflammation in his right knee. Although it wasn’t supposed to sideline him for a significant period, he sustained a bad right ankle sprain in late November during his ramp-up process, which set back his recovery and meant he didn’t make his season debut until March 16.
Even after agreeing to trade Anfernee Simons to Boston in a deal for Jrue Holiday, the Blazers will have a significant amount of expiring money on their 2025/26 cap, with Thybulle joining Deandre Ayton ($35.6MM) and Robert Williams ($13.3MM). We’ll see if the front office attempts to turn any more of those expiring deals into a player with multiple years of team control, like it did with Simons.