Sources: NBA grants Blazers $5.8M exception

The NBA has granted the Portland Trail Blazers a $5.8 million disabled player exception in the wake of center Robert Williams III’s season-ending knee injury, sources told ESPN.

The Blazers have a March 10 deadline to use the exception, which would allow them to make a trade, a waiver claim or a free agent signing.

Portland has 15 players under contract, so there are no immediate roster needs to address.

The Blazers — who are rebuilding with largely a young core of players — have several other tools available to them, including two trade exceptions ($8.8 million and $8.3 million) and the full $12.4 million non-taxpayer exception. The Blazers are $3.5 million under the luxury tax threshold.

ESPN’s Bobby Marks contributed to this report.