The Portland Trail Blazers just took another hit in what’s been a season defined by attrition. Backup center Duop Reath is officially done for the year after undergoing surgery to repair a stress fracture in his right foot. The team announced the procedure took place Thursday morning in New York City, and while they’re optimistic about his full recovery, Reath won’t return to the court this season.
On paper, Reath’s numbers don’t jump off the page - 2.9 points, 1.2 rebounds, and just over eight minutes per game across 32 appearances. But those stats don’t tell the full story of his value to this Blazers squad.
At 29, Reath carved out a niche as a floor-spacing big, hitting 42% of his shots from beyond the arc. In a league where stretch bigs are more important than ever, that kind of shooting touch from a reserve center is a luxury - especially for a team that’s been scrambling to fill gaps all season long.
Reath hasn’t seen the floor since January 18, when Portland pulled off a road win over the Sacramento Kings. At the time, the injury was labeled as foot soreness, but further evaluation revealed the stress fracture. The surgery, performed at the Hospital for Special Surgery, was deemed a success, and the team expects Reath to make a full recovery.
It’s another blow for a Portland team that just can’t seem to catch a break. Injuries have been the theme of the season - 13 different players have missed a combined 225 games due to injury or illness. That kind of attrition would test any roster, let alone one still trying to find its identity in a competitive Western Conference.
While Reath wasn’t a nightly contributor in terms of minutes, his presence mattered. Coaches and teammates have consistently praised his work ethic, professionalism, and the energy he brings to the locker room. For a team navigating a tough stretch, those intangibles are often just as important as box score production.
The Blazers, sitting at 22-24, will try to keep things rolling when they visit the New York Knicks on Friday. But they’ll do so without yet another piece of their rotation - one who, despite limited court time, had quietly become a part of their foundation.