press release

Portland Trail Blazers

NBA G League’s Record 31st Team to Debut in 2023-24 Season

PORTLAND, Ore., April 26, 2023 – The Portland Trail Blazers and the NBA G League today announced that the Trail Blazers have acquired the right to own and operate an NBA G League team that will launch in the Chiles Center on the University of Portland’s campus in North Portland. The team is expected to debut in the 2023-24 season. With today’s announcement, the NBA G League expands to a record 31 teams for the 2023-24 season. The name and brand identity of the team will be announced at a later date, as well as the front office and coaching staff.

Chiles Center serves as the home for the University of Portland’s Division I athletics programs competing in the West Coast Conference. Opened in 1984, the 4,852-seat convocation dome has hosted numerous high-profile events, including college basketball’s Phil Knight tournaments last November, as well as the 1992 and 2007 West Coast Conference Basketball Championships. The University has previously partnered with the Trail Blazers on hosting countless NBA events over the last decade, including a successful partnership that resulted in the 2030 NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four recently being awarded to the City of Portland.

“I’m excited to welcome Jody Allen and the Trail Blazers ownership group to the NBA G League family,” said NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim.&nbsp; “The NBA G League continues to grow to meet the developmental demands of NBA teams, and today’s announcement is further proof of the value the league provides to the NBA every day.&nbsp; I can’t wait to watch the team tip off at the Chiles Center next season.”

“It was very important to our organization to enter the G League with an affiliate here in Portland and strategically strengthen our dedication to player development,” said Joe Cronin, Portland Trail Blazers General Manager. “I would especially like to thank Jody Allen, who is aligned with Dewayne Hankins and myself, to make it a priority to have this team ready for next season as it will serve not only as a developmental tool for players but also for aspiring coaches and staff while we continue to be a mainstay in the community as a whole.”

"Entering the G League with a team of our own will increase development in numerous areas,” said Dewayne Hankins, Portland Trail Blazers President of Business Operations. “Not only will this team be an asset for developing young talent on the court, but developing talent off the court as well. We’ll be leaning into an innovative approach that will improve all aspects of our business across both teams. With the team launching at the University of Portland, we’re excited to continue engaging with the North Portland community.”

“Pilot Nation is thrilled to welcome the Trail Blazers G League franchise to their home on The Bluff,” said University of Portland President Robert D. Kelly, PhD. “UP has a rich and storied athletic tradition, and we couldn’t be more excited to continue that tradition by hosting this new franchise on our beautiful campus. I am grateful to our friends from the Portland Trail Blazers and our Athletic Department staff for making this wonderful partnership happen, and I can’t wait for the inaugural season to begin!”

Fans interested in season or single-game tickets, team news, and anything else related to the new team can visit www.ripcitygleague.com for more information.

To finish the 2022-23 NBA season, nine Trail Blazers had NBA G League experience: Ibou Badji, John Butler Jr., Chance Comanche, Drew Eubanks, Keon Johnson, Skylar Mays, Justin Minaya, Anfernee Simons and Jeenathan Williams.&nbsp; Since the NBA G League was established in 2001, Portland has called up a total of 20 players, including 13 over the last two seasons.&nbsp;&nbsp; The Trail Blazers have assigned 27 players to the NBA G League for development or injury rehabilitation while Portland assistant coaches Jonah Herscu, Steve Hetzel and Roy Rogers spent time coaching in the G League.

The NBA G League is a proven developer of NBA talent while also acting as the league’s research and development laboratory, testing out innovative rules now used at the NBA level, including the Coach’s Challenge and the 14-second shot-clock reset rule.&nbsp; Currently, more than half of the players on NBA rosters have G League experience, while six NBA head coaches spent time honing their craft in the G League. &nbsp;In addition, half of the first-round picks in the NBA Draft 2022 presented by State Farm® played games in the G League this season.

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PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS LAUNCH NBA G LEAGUE TEAM TO PLAY AT CHILES CENTER ON THE UNIVERSITY OF PORTLAND CAMPUS

Casey Holdahl

PORTLAND, Ore. (April 13, 2023) – Trail Blazers forward Nassir Little underwent successful surgery today 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.

nassir-little-undergoes-abdominal-surgery

Nassir Little Undergoes Abdominal Surgery

PORTLAND, Ore. (March 28, 2019) – With their sixth-straight trip to the NBA Playoffs now secure, tickets to the Portland Trail Blazers opening round in the postseason will go on sale to the general public Monday, April 1 at Noon. While that day is traditionally the prank-filled April Fool’s Day, team officials are urging fans to avoid being “fooled” and victims of ticket fraud by purchasing directly at trailblazers.com/tix.     

Playoff seeding in the NBA’s Western Conference is likely up-for-grabs until the regular-season finales on April 10. That means Trail Blazers fans will have to wait to see if the team opens in Portland at Moda Center, or on the road. The Trail Blazers clinched their playoff berth with a 148-144 double-overtime home victory over the Brooklyn Nets on March 25.  

trail-blazers-2019-opening-round-nba-playoff-tickets-go-on-sale-to-the-public-monday-april-1-no-foolin

Trail Blazers 2019 Opening-Round NBA Playoff Tickets Go On Sale to the Public Monday, April 1 – No Foolin’

PORTLAND, Ore. (February 2, 2019) – The Portland Trail Blazers have recalled guard Gary Trent Jr. from the Texas Legends of the NBA G League, it was announced today by president of basketball operations Neil Olshey.

Assigned to the Legends on January 20, Trent Jr. averaged 33.3 points (50.7% FG, 50.0% 3-PT, 88.9% FT), 5.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.67 steals and 34.4 minutes in six games (five starts) with Texas. His 200 total points are the second-most points scored by a player in their first six career G League games in league history.

Trent Jr., 20, has appeared in seven games for Portland this season, averaging 2.0 points, 0.6 rebounds, 0.1 assists and 4.7 minutes. Selected by Sacramento with the 37th overall pick of the 2018 NBA Draft, Trent Jr. (6-6, 205) was acquired by the Trail Blazers in a draft day trade. 

trail-blazers-recall-gary-trent-jr-from-g-league

Trail Blazers Recall Gary Trent Jr. from G League

PORTLAND, Ore. (October 15, 2018) – The Portland Trail Blazers have exercised 2019-20 team options on the rookie contracts of forward/center Zach Collins and forward Caleb Swanigan, it was announced today by president of basketball operations Neil Olshey.

The Trail Blazers acquired Collins, the 10th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, in a draft day trade and selected Swanigan with the 26th overall pick in the same draft. 

In his rookie 2017-18 season with the Trail Blazers, Collins (7-0, 235) posted averages of 4.4 points (39.8% FG, 31.0% 3-PT, 64.3% FT), 3.3 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.26 steals, 0.47 blocks and 15.8 minutes in 66 games (one start).

Swanigan (6-9, 250) averaged 2.3 points (40.0% FG, 12.5% 3-PT, 66.7% FT), 2.0 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.19 steals, 0.11 blocks and 7.0 minutes in 27 games (three starts) during his rookie 2017-18 season.

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Trail Blazers Exercise Team Options on Zach Collins,  Caleb Swanigan

PORTLAND, Ore. (June 21, 2018) – The Portland Trail Blazers have selected guard Anfernee Simons with the 24th overall pick in the first round of the NBA Draft, it was announced today by president of basketball operations Neil Olshey.

Simons, 19, enters the NBA from IMG Academy (Fla.), where he competed as a post-graduate and averaged 22.4 points (54% FG, 45% 3-PT), 6.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 2017-18.

Simons (6-4, 180) played his senior season of high school in 2016-17 at Edgewater High School in Orlando, Fla., where he posted averages of 23.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.8 steals.

He will wear No. 24 for the Trail Blazers.

trail-blazers-select-anfernee-simons-in-first-round-of-nba-draft

Trail Blazers Select Anfernee Simons in First Round of NBA Draft

PORTLAND, Ore. (June 21, 2018) – The Portland Trail Blazers have acquired the draft rights to guard Gary Trent Jr. from the Sacramento Kings in exchange for two future second round picks and cash considerations, it was announced today by president of basketball operations Neil Olshey.

Selected with the 37th overall pick in the second round of the draft, Trent Jr., 19, averaged 14.5 points (41.5% FG, 40.2% 3-PT, 87.6% FT), 4.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.16 steals and 33.8 minutes in 37 games (all starts) as a freshman at Duke during the 2017-18 season.

Trent Jr. (6-6, 209) was one of 10 finalists for the 2017-18 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award and was named to the 2018 NCAA Tournament All-Midwest Region Team. He finished third in the ACC in three-pointers made (97) and was the fourth freshman in Duke history to lead the team in three-point field goal percentage. 

Trent Jr. is the son of Gary Trent, who played for the Trail Blazers from 1995-98.

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Trail Blazers Acquire Draft Rights to Gary Trent Jr.

PORTLAND - May 2, 2018 – Fan voting for the 2017-18 Season-Long NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente is in full effect and will conclude on Sunday, May 6 at 8:59 p.m. PDT. Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum received the February NBA Cares Community Assist Award for his ongoing efforts to mentor and provide educational resources to youth in Portland – and is now one of the 10 nominees for the season-ending award. Chosen by fans and an NBA executive panel, the final winner will be announced at the 2018 NBA Awards presented by Kia on Monday, June 25 (5 p.m. PT, TNT) from historic Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif.

Fans can vote for their favorite season-long award nominee via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #NBACommunityAssist and #PlayerFirstNameLastName (e.g., #CJMcCollum). The season-long award honors a player’s strong commitment to and positive impact on their community over the course of the season. The NBA and Kaiser Permanente will donate $25,000 to the winner’s charity of choice.

McCollum has created innovative spaces to help students learn and think creatively, like the CJ McCollum Dream Center that he designed and help fund for the Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of Portland Metro. In addition to hosting summer basketball camps and holiday parties in the center, McCollum works closely with local organizations like Girls, Inc., Start Making a Reader Today (SMART) and the Urban League of Portland to help underserved youth and families attend home games throughout the season.

fans-urged-to-vote-now-on-social-media-for-trail-blazers-cj-mccollum-for-nba-season-long-community-assist-award

Fans Urged to Vote Now on Social Media for Trail Blazers’ CJ Mccollum for NBA Season-Long Community Assist Award

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Moda Health

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