After being swept by the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs, the Portland Trail Blazers went through exit interviews on Tuesday. During gGeneral Manager Neil Olshey’s interview, he stated that center Festus Ezeli will not be on the roster next season:
Neil Olshey said Festus Ezeli will not be on the roster next season.
— Joe Freeman (@BlazerFreeman) April 25, 2017
After a successful stint as backup center for the Golden State Warriors, the Blazers signed Ezeli to a two-year, $16 million contract – a contract that many thought would be a steal for a relatively young center bursting with potential.
However, Ezeli failed to live up to expectations. He never played a single game for Portland and underwent season-ending knee surgery in December. After his injury-riddled season, the Blazers will decline his option and Ezeli will be a free agent.
Ezeli, 27, averaged 7.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game on 54.8 percent shooting (all career-highs) for the Golden State Warriors in 2015-16. His performance in a relatively small role (16.7 minutes per game) was good enough that at some times during the season, some thought that he may receive a max contract. However, Ezeli only played 46 games in both 2014-15 and 2015-16; injuries have always plagued him.
