Blazers Were Aware Of Brandon Roy’s Knee Issues When Extending Contract

Pritchard, who was randomly fired just prior to the 2010 NBA Draft, was making an appearance on Portland radio host John Canzano’s radio show Friday when the subject of Roy’s five-year, $82 million contract extension in 2009 was brought up. Pritchard took full responsibility for the signing, but mentioned that there were plenty of injury details already known about by the Blazers at the time.

“The one thing that is not reported and people probably haven’t seen out there is did we know Brandon has issues healthwise?” Pritchard asked rhetorically. “Absolutely.”

Canzano does not, however, cite any sources.

Roy’s due another $68.7 million over four years, a hefty pricetag if the guard can’t get back to an All-Star level. Canzano suggests the Blazers could push Roy to retire, giving up all of that money and sitting out for a year, then returning to the NBA. As Canzano notes, that is a completely bonkers idea. There’s almost no conceivable way that would happen. The other option is a medical retirement, in which a league-appointed doctor would have to determine Roy was no longer fit to play. Roy would still get paid every dime, but his salary would come off the Blazers’ books, allowing them to make moves and avoid luxury tax.

For Blazers analysis and Roy reaction, check out Blazersedge.

Brandon Roy’s 2010/11 season has taken a depressing turn for the worse, thanks to pain in both knees that required surgery. The concern many Portland Trail Blazers fans have is that Roy will simply never be the same, given all the issues he’s had with those knees.

Roy did little to quench those concerns in an interview on 95.5 The Game yesterday. He admitted that he probably will never be 100 percent healthy again. Via Sports Radio Interviews.

Brandon Roy will have arthroscopic surgery on both of his knees next week, the Portland Trail Blazers announced on Thursday. According to a press release posted on SB Nation blog Blazersedge, there is no timetable for Roy’s return to the court. But the All-Star guard hopes the double knee surgery will push his recovery forward.

Roy hasn’t played since Dec. 15, 2010, due to knee pain. In the last week of December, the team announced that Roy would be out indefinitely, and there have reportedly been differing opinions on how the guard would best be set up for an eventual pain-free return.

The Blazers spent quite a lot of money on Matthews in free agency last summer, and to be honest it may have been wasted had Roy not been kept off the court this year. Of course, that presents another problem: Roy makes a lot of money, and has plenty left on his contract ($82 million, including this season). While Matthews may keep the Blazers afloat, for every month that Roy can’t perform, the franchise is throwing money down a hole.

For more Blazers news and analysis, check out Blazersedge.

Roy has been in pain all season, and earlier this month convinced coach Nate McMillan to let him play more than 35 minutes per game.

The Blazers have been listing Roy as day-to-day in recent days, so at least this announcement provides a sliver of closure, though of course it’s hard to know what to make of “indefinitely.”

SB Nation Arizona’s Jose Romero notes that Roy is sporting a new brooding attitude, clearly being bothered by the limitations his own body is putting on his game. Those limitations were squelched in Phoenix, as Roy scored a game-high 26 points and played 41 minutes -- six over his 35-minute limit.

Whether the performance boosted Roy’s confidence or merely caused his frustration to boil over, there’s no questioning that it changed something in his thinking. From Romero:

Via Quick:

Roy was also asked about his knee on the Dan Patrick Show this morning, and had this to say. Via Sports Radio Interviews: