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Trail Blazers forward Nassir Little underwent surgery yesterday to repair a right-side core muscle injury.
The surgery was performed by Dr. William C. Meyers at the Vincera Institute in Philadelphia. The procedure was similar to his left side repair performed May 10th of last year.
A full recovery is expected.
After recent re-evaluation and rehab progression, Portland Trail Blazers guard/forward Nassir Little has commenced on-court contact activities in preparation for return to play. His official return has yet to be determined.
Also, Blazers forward Justise Winslow sustained a left ankle sprain Dec. 21 at Oklahoma City. Recent re-evaluation continues to show significant improvement in both symptoms and function. He is expected to miss at least the next two weeks.
The Portland Trail Blazers have signed forward Nassir Little to a multi-year contract extension.
Little’s Blazers extension is reportedly a four-year, $28 million deal.
“Nassir is a talented player who has grown every year and has a very bright future,” said Blazers General Manager Joe Cronin. “We are very excited that he chose to extend with us, and we look forward to continuing to see him shine on and off the court.”
Per the Oregonian, “Little, a first-round pick in 2019, is entering the final year of his rookie contract, which will pay him just under $4.2 million this season. The extension could keep Little in Portland through the 2026-27 season at a relatively low annual salary, given that he entered training camp in competition for the starting small forward position.”
Little, 22, posted a career-best 9.8 points (46.0 FG%, 33.1 3-PT%, 73.4 FT%), 5.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.9 blocks in 25.9 minutes in 42 games (23 starts) for Portland during the 2021-22 season. The University of North Carolina product scored in double figures in 20 games and registered three double-doubles.
Originally selected with the 25th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Little has accrued career averages of 5.8 points (45.5 FG%, 31.7 3-PT%, 72.7 FT%), 3.4 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.5 blocks and 16.7 minutes in 138 career games (30 starts) for the Portland Trail Blazers.
Portland Trail Blazers forward Nassir Little underwent successful surgery today to repair a core muscle injury.
The surgery was performed by Dr. William C. Meyers at the Vincera Institute in Philadelphia.
The Blazers say a full recovery is expected, which will not impact Little’s return to play timeline related to his February 1 left shoulder surgery.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirms Portland Trail Blazers forward Nassir Little with a left ankle sprain, it was announced today by president of basketball operations Neil Olshey.
The injury occurred at the 2:24 mark of the third quarter in Portland’s game at Utah on Monday, November 29.
Little will continue his recovery protocol and be re-evaluated in one week.
In 21 games (two starts) this season, Little is averaging career highs of 8.3 points (47.8% FG, 31.7% 3-PT, 82.8% FT), 5.3 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 22.4 minutes per game. He has scored in double figures seven times and recorded one double-double.