If an injury occurs between July 1 and November 30, the physician determines whether or not the player will be unable to play (due to injury or death) during the current season. If so, an exception can be offered...
Now onto the specifics regarding Greg Oden. I assume that the team will apply for a disabled player exception. If granted, the amount of the exception would be $3,380,262 and they would have 45 days to use it. The league in the past has been pretty good about granting such extensions to teams who have disabled players...
A) Portland could use the exception to sign a larger-than-minimum-salary free agent, presumably a big man. Someone like Erick Dampier would be an option. I’m not a big fan of Dampier, but .....
B) Portland could use the exception to make an uneven (money wise) trade. For example, sending Sean Marks and the New Orleans 1st round pick received in the Bayless deal to Philadelphia for Spencer Hawes.
C) Portland could use the exception to facilitate a trade to aid a team that is over the luxury tax threshold. For example, sending a 2nd round pick to Denver for Renaldo Balkman and a 1st round pick (first waiving a player to create a roster spot).
Excellent work from storyteller, and a league source told BlazersEdge’s Ben Golliver that the Blazers will in fact seek a disabled player exception for Oden. Dampier, Hawes, and Balkman certainly won’t give the Blazers what a healthy Oden would, but at least they might be able to do something to fill the void left by Oden’s latest setback.
