Festus Ezeli was brought on by the Blazers this past summer with hopes that he could provide frontcourt depth on a team approaching contention. Unfortunately for Ezeli, a season-ending knee injury shattered these hopes, as the Trail Blazers are now reportedly determined to move him before the February 23rd trade deadline.
From ESPN’s Marc Stein:
Sources say Portland is determined to move injured center Festus Ezeli before the deadline and is pitching him in particular to teams well below the salary floor that would be willing to take on Ezeli’s contract with some level of draft compensation attached. This is the first year of a two-year deal for Ezeli that pays $7.4 million this season but is guaranteed for only $1 million next season. Denver ($7.6 million), Philadelphia ($7.5 million) and Brooklyn ($6.8 million) are the three teams that sit the farthest under the league’s $84.7 million salary floor.
Ezeli, who played a key role with the 2015 champion Golden State Warriors team, is a solid big man still capable of providing efficient defense and rebounding, all while carrying a respectable touch around the basket when healthy.
Ezeli averaged seven points and 5.6 rebounds in 46 games with the Warriors last year, and has yet to play a single game with Portland since signing with the club last summer.
