Trail Blazers rookie to miss rest of season due to injury

Trail Blazers rookie Toumani Camara will miss the rest of the 2023-24 season after suffering a rib injury, according to team PR. Camara exited the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s matchup with the Hawks, and further testing showed that he fractured his left rib and has a small laceration in his kidney, per the team.

According to the team, he spent time in a hospital in Atlanta for further observation but is improving and has been released. He’s expected to fully recover after missing the rest of this year.

Camara, 23, was the 52nd overall pick in the 2023 draft by the Suns out of Dayton. He was then included in the three-team deal that sent Damian Lillard to the Bucks, being re-routed to the Blazers.

Camara immediately made an impact in his rookie season, finishing the year averaging 7.5 points and 4.9 rebounds while shooting 45.0% from the floor in 70 appearances (49 starts). He was one of the only constants in a tumultuous season for Portland, leading the team in games played and being just one of four to make 60 or more appearances.

He might not make an All-Rookie team, but he was certainly one of the more impressive rookies this year. He ranked seventh in rebounds per game among all first-year players and 19th in points per game. He, Chet Holmgren, and Cason Wallace are currently the only rookies with 70 or more appearances, but that will surely change before the season ends.

The second and third seasons of Camara’s four-year rookie deal are non-guaranteed but will become guaranteed if he’s on the roster past July 20.