The Warriors knew this day was coming, they had just hoped he wouldn’t land on a rival team.
Festus Ezeli has signed a deal with the Portland Trail Blazers, a move that drastically improves their front court — their biggest weakness last season.
Free agent center Festus Ezeli has reached agreement on a two-year deal with Portland, league source tells @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 8, 2016
Festus Ezeli's Blazers deal is actually $7.4 million the first year with a team option of $7.33 million in the second year, a source said.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) July 8, 2016
Ezeli had his poor moments in the playoffs, particularly in Game 7, but the 26-year-old is athletic and can give his team a big burst from time-to-time. The Blazers know this first-hand. Primed to upset the Warriors at Oracle Arena in Game 2 of the Western Conference semis, Ezeli spearheaded a fourth quarter comeback for the ages, befuddling Portland with his pick-and-roll defense. Unfortunately for him, it was one of the few rare triumphs in the postseason.
Ezeli fell out of favor after undergoing knee surgery in the middle of the year. He thrived under Luke Walton, but he faltered under Steve Kerr. The Warriors opted to play Anderson Varejao in critical stretch during the NBA Finals over the young and talented Ezeli. Trust had been eroded.
Ezeli averaged 7.0 points per game, 5.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 16.7 minutes last season. He appeared in 46 regular season games, starting 13 of them, in his three-year Warriors career. He was drafted alongside Harrison Barnes in the first round of the 2012 draft.
He’s a vast improvement for the Blazers up front over just Mason Plumlee and Ed Davis, and Ezeli could get a chance at redemption in the 2017 playoffs.
Portland also signed Evan Turner this offseason.
