Portland Trail Blazers center Meyers Leonard underwent successful shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum. He is expected to be out 6-8 months while recovering from the surgery.
Leonard has been a valuable part of the Blazers due to his shooting at the center position. He has struggled this season, partially due to injuries, but his role opens up a lot for the Blazers offense and he will be missed by the team in the postseason.
Individually speaking, Leonard’s extensive time-table may have an impact on his contract situation. The big-man is a restricted free agent this summer and despite his poor play for much of this season, he was expected to be paid a hefty sum of money by some team – likely the Blazers, who can match any offer thrown at him. However, with the possibility that he could miss two months of next season, that question becomes slightly more difficult to answer.
In the end, Leonard will probably not see much of a detriment to his next contract from the injury. Additionally, the Blazers have played well without Leonard with contributions from a surprisingly deep roster. The effect of losing him for the postseason may not be as large as originally thought.
Portland is 43-37 and will likely face the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs, where they may be a popular pick as a potential upset specialist.
