TUALATIN, Ore. — The Portland Trail Blazers are not standing still.
In an attempt to make headway through a frustrating season filled with injuries and setbacks, the Blazers made two roster moves Tuesday afternoon. Portland waived forward Anthony Tolliver and assigned rookie guard Patty Mills to the team’s NBA Developmental League affiliate, the Idaho Stampede.
But the team’s biggest move should come today.
The Blazers are expected to sign forward Shavlik Randolph to a non-guaranteed contract, a source informed The Columbian.
Randolph is expected to arrive in Portland on Wednesday and could be ready to play in tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
If Randolph is signed, it would mark his second run with the Blazers. The 6-foot-10, 236-pound Randolph played in 10 games for Portland in 2008-09, averaging 1.8 and 1.8 rebounds. And while his numbers do not stand out, the former Duke player quickly became a fan favorite due to his unique personality.
Randolph has played on three teams during his five-year NBA career. He saw action in two games for the Miami Heat this season, averaging 1.0 points and 3.5 rebounds. He was waived by the team Dec. 14.
Randolph is expected to fill the roster spot left void by the waiving of Tolliver. In turn, Randolph will hold down the position reserved for the Blazers’ hardship exemption, which the NBA granted the team Dec. 17 after guard Rudy Fernandez was sidelined with back surgery.
If signed, Randolph should provide Portland (20-13) with depth at the center position, which has been a severe weak point following season-ending injuries to centers Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla.
In the interim, forwards Juwan Howard, LaMarcus Aldridge and Jeff Pendergraph have filled in. But Aldridge holds down the team’s starting forward position, while Howard is an undersized 16-year veteran and Pendergraph is a rookie who missed the first 29 games of the season due to hip surgery.
In a sign of just how thin Portland’s interior has been, the Blazers gave up 60 points in the paint to the Philadelphia 76ers during a 104-93 defeat Monday at the Rose Garden.
Blazers coach Nate McMillan acknowledged Tuesday that injuries and a slew of roster moves and rotation changes have left his team attempting to fill in holes while still trying to focus on the one thing that matters: winning games.
He said playing rookies such as Pendergraph and Dante Cunningham alongside players such as Howard and Jerryd Bayless, whose roles on the team were expected to be limited when a highly anticipated season began, has been a tough balancing act.
“It’s a situation that we are faced with,” McMillan said. “Guys who haven’t played and are just starting to play, all of a sudden they’re thrown into the rotation. … We have to limit what we can run, because guys haven’t been out there running those particular plays. And a lot of sets we’ve gone away from, because we don’t have certain players.”
The 6-foot-9, 240-pound Tolliver played in two games for the Blazers this season, recording four minutes, one rebound and zero points.
When Tolliver was signed Dec. 17, he acknowledged that his time with Portland would likely be brief.
“Hopefully I do get the chance to get on the court and show what I can do,” Tolliver said. “I’m just going to be prepared for whatever it is. It’s their decision to use me how they may. They’re the ones writing the checks.”
However, Tolliver said he was quickly made to feel like a part of a Blazers team that has been forced to unite in the face of adversity. And he used his time with the Blazers to reach out and make an impact in the regional community, sponsoring a Northeast Portland family for the holidays.
Meanwhile, Mills had yet to play a regular-season game for Portland. The 6-foot, 175-pound native of Canberra, Australia, has spent the season recovering from right foot surgery he underwent July 13. Mills had been active in recent practices, though, and had traveled with the team on its recent road trip.
With Tolliver waived and Mills reassigned, Portland’s roster now stands at 15. However, Przybilla, Fernandez, Oden, Nicolas Batum and Travis Outlaw are all injured, leaving the team with just 10 healthy players.
Blazers guard Brandon Roy said Tuesday that Portland’s constantly changing lineup has left the team with no choice but to adapt. And he said the loss of Przybilla was a double-edged blow that hurt the Blazers’ overall chances this season while also affecting leadership.
“Joel was a vocal leader. He was kind of like a ‘Get over here’ type of guy,” Roy said. “And now me and LaMarcus have got to make sure guys are focused, especially going into games.
“Last night, Coach (McMillan) felt like we were ready to play, but we didn’t have that same energy we had in the previous weeks. So, me and LaMarcus have got to do a better job of making sure we’re ready to go out there.”
