In the second installment of a five-game road trip, the Portland Trail Blazers travel to the East Coast to take on the struggling Charlotte Hornets on Saturday afternoon. Forward Deni Avdija, who has only played one full game since the All-Star break, headlines the injury report. Here is everything we know about Deni Avdija's injury and his playing status against the Hornets.
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)*
Deni Avdija injury status vs. Hornets
After a rock-solid start to the 2025-2026 season, Avdija has been slowed by injuries over the last month. Avdija is currently being slowed by a back injury that forced him out in the first minute of the Blazers' Sunday night game against the Phoenix Suns.
Avdija has yet to return to the court since then, missing Portland's last two games. He is listed as doubtful on Saturday and expected to miss his third straight contest.
Interim head coach Tiago Splitter has turned to Kris Murray in Avdija's absence. Murray enters Saturday's game off consecutive double-digit efforts and is slated to receive his 14th start of the season against the Hornets. He will join Jrue Holiday, Toumani Camara, Jerami Grant and Donovan Clingan in the Blazers' starting lineup.
Clingan is listed as questionable after missing the Blazers' last game with an illness. If he misses another game, expect Scoot Henderson to remain in the opening lineup.
Holiday and Grant have picked up the scoring slack in Avdija's absence, with Henderson absorbing additional minutes off the bench. Holiday is currently on his best stretch of the season, averaging 18.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in February.
With Avdija trending toward missing another game, expect the same Blazers team that just collected a 121-112 win over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday to face the Hornets.
Blazers injury report
Deni Avdija — Doubtful, Lower back injury management
Sidy Cissoko — Questionable, Illness
Donovan Clingan — Questionable, Illness
Damian Lillard — OUT, Left Achilles tendon management
Caleb Love — OUT, G League
Shaedon Sharpe — Left fibula stress reaction
Hornets injury report
Tosan Evbuomwan — OUT, G League
PJ Hall — OUT, G League
Liam McNeely — OUT, G League
Antonio Reeves — OUT, G League
Tidjane Salaun — OUT, G League
