The Blazers are “determined” to move Festus Ezeli before the trade deadline, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports. Portland is talking to teams that are below the salary floor and it may be willing to send draft picks to a team willing to take on the big man’s contract.
Ezeli signed a two-year, $15MM deal with the team during the offseason, but he hasn’t been able to play because of a knee injury. Portland is currently slightly under the luxury tax, but the team will be well over the luxury tax line next season once C.J. McCollum‘s extension kicks in.
The center will make $7.4MM this season, but only $1MM of his salary for next season is guaranteed. Stein notes that the Nuggets, Sixers, and Nets are the three teams that sit the farthest under the salary floor with all three being at least $6MM under.
Grab him Twolves. Take the pick compensation and the front court help when he is healthy next year. Won’t be paying him when it’s time to extend Wiggins and Lavine
If Portland is willing to give at least a 1st round draft pick then the Knicks should go after him
The knicks own pick plus the pick the acquire could get them the suns pick. Celtics would be dumb to turn the #1 pick into a 5 and 25. Sixers need to pick him up and use this pick and their pick to grab lonzo ball while they can.
Cavs should go for after him. They need a back up center anyway other than a piont guard.
What’s the extent of Ezeli’s injury? Will he play at all this year?
Nope.
Then no point of Wolves trading for him. Only helps them get to salary floor, but they need another big- can’t count on Aldrich if G or KAT goes down
They could pick up a blazers pick for taking Ezeli especially if they’re not using the money this year anyway and then decline his option next year.
Really no reason for a non-rebuilding team to take on Ezeli. His injury makes him completely worthless unless he has atleast one first round pick attached.