After being acquired by the Portland Trailblazers on Draft Day in 2006, Brandon Roy emerged as an all-star talent who always found a way to lead his perenially injured team to the playoffs. Now, that same franchise may be talking its franchise player into retirement.
Roy, a former Rookie of the Year, played a reduced role following his return from yet another injury in February, losing his spot on the depth chart to the likes of Wesley Matthews and Nicholas Batum. Given the Blazers' success without Roy, the team is considering ridding themselves of Roy's $13+ million contract. This could be achieved by convincing their former franchise player to retire, according to OregonLive.com.
Roy could potentially retire for "medical reasons." If he gets confirmation from a doctor that he is medically unable to play, the transaction would offer cap relief to Portland.
Roy was hampered by injuries this season, appearing in only 47 games (23 starts) for Portland. Upon his return from injury, Roy averaged less than ten points per game down the stretch. In Game 2 of Portland's first-round series against Dallas, Roy admitted to almost crying due to lack of playing time. In Game 4, Roy scored 18 points in the fourth quarter to lead his team to an 84-82 victory.
