After guard Wesley Matthews went down with a torn Achilles tendon on Thursday night, Portland Trail Blazers general manager Neil Olshey put in a call to the agent for Ray Allen to gauge his interest in joining the team, according to Yahoo Sports report on Friday.
Jim Tanner, Allen’s agent, indicated that the 39-year-old veteran would not reconsider his decision to sit out the 2014-15 season and play for the Trail Blazers or any other team.
That leaves the Blazers (41-19) to rely on the players already on the roster during the final month of the regular season and the playoffs. Arron Afflalo, Steve Blake and C.J. McCollum most likely will take over Matthews’ minutes.
Matthews was injured during the third quarter of Thursday night’s 94-75 win over the Dallas Mavericks after scoring four points in 18 minutes. He will miss the remainder of the season and undergo surgery at a yet to be determined date.
“It’s disbelief, you know?” Matthews said. “I’m sitting up there in that tube having an MRI, and I don’t hear noise, I don’t feel my Achilles, I’m just … I can’t believe I’m up there while my team’s battling. I just haven’t processed all of it yet.”
Matthews’ teammates took the injury hard.
“It’s tough, man. He’s the heart and soul of this team; he brings a lot to this team,” Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge said. “I’ve played with him seven, eight years now, so not having him out there is going to be tough.”
Matthews, in the final year of a five-year, $34 million contract, had started all 60 games this season and averaged 15.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists. He was fourth in the NBA with 173 3-pointers.
“I’m frustrated, man. I’m frustrated,” Matthews said. “They say everything happens for a reason, and I was thinking it, too. But what was the reason? I can’t find it right now.”