The Portland Trail Blazers have named Rodney Billups as an assistant coach.

Billups, 38, is the younger brother of Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups. 

Billups joins the Portland staff from Milwaukee where he served as a scout for the Bucks this season.  Prior to that he was the head coach at the University of Denver for five seasons (2016-21).  Billups was also a standout collegiate player for Denver (2002-05). 

Before joining Denver, Billups served as director of basketball operations for two seasons (2010-12) and as an assistant coach for four seasons (2012-2016) at the University of Colorado under head coach Tad Boyle. 

The Trail Blazers have signed forward/center Reggie Perry to a 10-day contract via the NBA’s Hardship Exception.

Perry, 21, has appeared in 11 games (all starts) for the Raptors 905 of the NBA G League this season, posting averages of 19.7 points (47.8% FG, 37.7% 3-PT, 75.9% FT), 10.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.09 blocks in 32.0 minutes per game. Selected by the LA Clippers with the 57th pick of the 2020 NBA Draft and subsequently traded to Brooklyn, Perry (6-8, 250) averaged 3.0 points (41.0% FG, 19.0% 3-PT, 76.9% FT), 2.8 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 8.1 minutes in 26 appearances for the Nets last season. 

Chauncey Billups has entered the NBA's COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

Scott Brooks will serve as interim head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers in the absence of Billups. 

The Trail Blazers have signed Jarron Cumberland, Brandon Williams to 10-day contracts via the NBA’s Hardship Exception.

Cumberland, 24, arrives in Portland after averaging 20.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.0 assists and earning MVP honors at the 2021 NBA G League Winter Showcase. In 13 total games (three starts) for the Delaware Blue Coats this season, Cumberland (6-5, 205) has averaged 9.4 points (43.2% FG, 34.1% 3-PT, 85.7% FT), 3.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.08 steals and 21.1 minutes. A four-year player at Cincinnati (2016-20), he went undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft before playing eight games for the Rio Grande Vipers and Raptors 905 of the NBA G League in 2020-21. Cumberland will wear No. 34 for the Trail Blazers.  

Williams, 22, has appeared in 10 games (six starts) for the Westchester Knicks of the NBA G League this season, averaging 17.7 points (36.4% FG, 28.3% 3-PT, 83.3% FT), 4.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 2.00 steals and 31.1 minutes. The Arizona product earned Pac-12 All-Freshman Honorable Mention honors during the 2018-19 season before redshirting his sophomore campaign and going undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft. Williams (6-2, 190) will wear No. 5 for the Trail Blazers.  

The Portland Trail Blazers will sign Cameron McGriff to a 10-day hardship deal.

McGriff is averaging 10.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 22.4 minutes per game this season in the G League for the Greensboro Swarm. 

CJ McCollum's right lung is fully healed and he will be re-evaluated next week.

McCollum was diagnosed with a collapsed lung after suffering a rib injury on December 4th. McCollum has been cleared for noncontact drills, increased conditioning and shooting. 

McCollum is averaging 20.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists.

The NBA announced that Thursday's game featuring the Brooklyn Nets at the Portland Trail Blazers has been postponed. The league said the Nets do not have the required eight players to be able to play the game. This is the eighth postponed game this season.

This marks Brooklyn's third consecutive postponed game. At this point, it's unknown if the Nets game at the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas Day is in danger of being postponed or not.

The NBA recently sent the 10 Christmas Day teams notice that their game times may be shuffled if there are postponements. The league and their TV partners want to maximize the mid-day window for Christmas viewership.

Following further examination, including a CT scan on Tuesday, CJ McCollum continues to show improvement in his recovery from a pneumothorax (right lung).

McCollum will continue his recovery protocol, which includes light conditioning, and will be reevaluated next week. He will not travel with the team on their upcoming road trip to Memphis and New Orleans.  

The Philadelphia 76ers have maintained their patience in trading Ben Simmons with the expectation that a true star who is not currently available would eventually become available.

While Damian Lillard has continued to pledge his fidelity to the Portland Trail Blazers, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report writes that "the Sixers and other teams around the league remain optimistic he could eventually request a trade prior to the 2022-23 season."

The Blazers are heading into an uncertain period following the firing of Neil Olshey and their status as non-contenders in the Western Conference. 

The Detroit Pistons receive calls from "dozens of teams" each interested in trading for Jerami Grant. While Grant is out for multiple weeks with torn ligaments in his right thumb, it is unlikely to impact his trade value. 

The Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers are among the teams with interest in Grant.

Grant will become eligible for a four-year extension worth up to $112 million in the offseason. Grant will have one season remaining on his current deal this offseason.

The scenario of a trade and eventual extension is similar to the one the Denver Nuggets had with Aaron Gordon.