The NBA granted the Portland Trail Blazers a disabled player exception valued at $2.9 million, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
The exception comes in the wake of swingman Rodney Hood tearing his Achilles tendon on Dec. 6. Although the Trail Blazers have yet to announce a recovery timeline for Hood, it's likely he will miss the remainder of the 2019-20 season.
Hood's injury has left a sizable hole in Portland's rotation. The 27-year-old had averaged 29.5 minutes per game, starting all 21 of his appearances. The disabled player exception mitigates some of the production lost to long-term injury, allowing the Trail Blazers to go over the salary cap to sign, trade for, or make a waiver claim for a player whose contract expires after the 2019-20 season.
Entering Tuesday's slate, the Trail Blazers sit 10th in the Western Conference with a 11-16 record.
