Nassir Little Undergoes Core Surgery

The Portland Trail Blazers have announced that forward Nassir Little underwent successful surgery to repair a right-side core muscle injury on Thursday.

Per team correspondent Casey Holdahl, the procedure was similar to the one Little received last May.

The surgery was performed by Dr. William C. Meyers at the Vincera Institute in Philadelphia. The procedure was similar to his left side repair performed May 10th of last year.

A full recovery is expected at this time. Little has been plagued by injuries for the majority of his young career, including a torn labrum in his left shoulder that kept him sidelined for the second half of the 2021-22 season. Despite returning from last May’s core muscle surgery in time to play in the 2022 preseason, Little said he didn’t feel especially healthy on the court until January. No timeline was given in the initial report this morning.

In 54 games this season, Little averaged 6.6 points and 2.6 rebounds while playing around 18 minutes in each contest. There were extended stretches where his minutes were inconsistent, but he typically performed well in the opportunities he got.

Now 23 years old and soon to be entering his fifth NBA season, Little has another road to recovery ahead of him. His path has been frustrating thus far, with various injury roadblocks along the way. Mercifully, the tanking Trail Blazers are done for the season and Little has all summer to recover.