Blazers Injury Report: Portland Set to Be Down Multiple Players vs Bucks

Portland will be missing some key pieces against an East hopeful.

Oct 18, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) is helped up during the second half by teammates Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant (9), left, and guard Anfernee Simons (1) against the Utah Jazz at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

The Portland Trail Blazers will be missing at least two key pieces against an Eastern Conference title hopeful on Saturday night.

Per Portland's official PR team, starting 3-and-D power forward Jerami Grant and two-time All-Defensive Team shooting guard/small forward Matisse Thybulle have both been ruled out for Saturday's clash against the 17-15 Milwaukee Bucks.

Grant, 30, is dealing with a face contusion. He hasn't played for Portland since the club's surprise 126-122 victory over a shorthanded Dallas Mavericks club on December 28. Across 29 contests (all starts), the 6-foot-7 Syracuse product is averaging 15.0 points on .382/.382/.820 shooting splits, 3.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 blocks and 0.9 steals a night. That's his lowest scoring average since his 2019-20 season with the Denver Nuggets.

Thybulle has yet to return from a right ankle sprain this season.

Both Grant and Thybulle could be primo trade chips for the Trail Blazers heading into this year's February deadline. Grant is currently earning a somewhat generous $29.8 million this season, while Thybulle's $11 million contract would be fairly reasonable were he able to string together a few weeks of healthy output. Thybulle has an $11.6 million player option for 2025-26, and thus could enter unrestricted free agency this summer were he to be traded somewhere he didn't like. Although, given his recent health trouble, he may just take the security of the money, which will be more than he's likely to fetch annually.

According to the league's latest injury report, two-way Portland players Bryce McGowens, Justin Minaya and Taze Moore will all remain with the team's G League affiliate squad, the Rip City Remix.

The Trail Blazers could be facing a Bucks squad down several key pieces, too. Eight-time All-NBA superstar power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has been downgraded to probable with a right patella tendinopathy, which has been bugging him for months, but hasn't cost him many games. Former three-time All-Star small forward Khris Middleton is considered probable as Milwaukee manages his recovery from a dual ankle surgery this offseason.

Reserve Bucks swingman AJ Green has been upgraded as probable to play through a lumbar contusion (he missed Milwaukee's last game). Two-way player Liam Robbins and young guns Chris Livingston, AJ Johnson and Tyler Smith are all on assignment to the Bucks' NBAGL affiliate in Oshkosh, the Wisconsin Herd.

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