PORTLAND, Ore — The Portland Trail Blazers announced Jusuf Nurkic, Anfernee Simons and Eric Bledsoe are ruled out for the remainder of the 2021-2022 season. The team gave the update in a news release Monday morning.
Nurkic had played through symptoms of plantar fasciitis through Feb. 16, the Blazers said. He will continue his treatment and recovery program. In 56 games (all starts), he averaged 15.0 points (53.5% FG, 26.8% 3-PT, 69.0% FT), a career-high 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.11 steals.
Simons has missed the last 11 games with patellar tendinopathy in his left knee. The Blazers said his knee is responding well to treatment and rehab. Simons leads the team in total points (988), three-pointers made (179) and assists (221) for the season.
Bledsoe has tendinopathy in his left Achilles tendon and received a platelet-rich plasma injection on March 23, the team said. He appeared in 54 games (29 starts) for the Los Angeles Clippers this season, averaging 9.9 points (42.1% FG, 31.3% 3-PT, 76.1% FT), 3.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.28 steals and 25.2 minutes. Bledsoe was acquired by Portland in a trade with the Clippers on Feb. 4.
The announcement on Monday comes one week after the Blazers said Damian Lillard would miss the rest of the regular season. Lillard is rehabilitating from surgery he had back in January to repair a core injury causing chronic abdominal pain.
The Blazers (12th in the Western Conference) are scheduled to take on Oklahoma City Thunder (14th in the Western Conference) on Monday at 7 p.m. The two teams play for the third time this season. Oklahoma City defeated the Blazers 96-93 in their last matchup on Feb. 5.
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