NBA free agency continues this week after a rocky start for the Portland Trail Blazers who have seen several of their free agent targets sign contracts with opposing teams.
There was a flurry of activity Friday afternoon, with Chandler Parsons opting to sign with the Grizzlies over Portland and Evan Turner coming on board with the Trail Blazers. Another player the Blazers were chasing, Pau Gasol, chose to join the San Antonio Spurs over the holiday weekend instead of accepting a hefty offer from Portland. The Blazers also saw a couple of departures this week with free agents Gerald Henderson and Brian Roberts both signing contracts with Eastern Conference teams.
So, where do Neil Olshey and the Blazers go from here? Who are the players still available that might want to bring their talents to Rip City?
Keep in mind, the Blazers can make verbal agreements with players, but they can’t officially sign players until Thursday, July 7, following the NBA’s moratorium period.
Jump into the comments thread below for the latest Trail Blazers free agency updates and rumors from Joe Freeman, Mike Richman and other NBA reporters. We’ll keep this post updated throughout the day and into Saturday.
Latest updates:
– Golden State center Festus Ezeli is reportedly in Portland and meeting with the Trail Blazers despite previous reports that the Blazers’ interest had cooled due to Ezeli’s probably asking price.
– Portland free agent Brian Roberts, who the Blazers picked up at the trade deadline during last season, has decided to sign with the Charlotte Hornets according to reports.
– Adrian Wojnarowski joined John Canzano on The Bald Face Truth radio show and says Allen Crabbe is likely to be retained by the Trail Blazers. He also talks about more possible free agent targets for Portland going forward.
– It looks like guard Gerald Henderson will be leaving the Trail Blazers after coming to an agreement on a contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.
– It’s not really a free agent signing, but the Trail Blazers are finalizing a trade with the Orlando Magic that will bring reserve point guard Shabazz Napier to Portland.
– According to Joe Freeman, the Blazers have reportedly expressed interest in Golden State backup center Festus Ezeli, but how much are they willing to pay him? Apparently not enough. The Blazers reportedly cooled on the idea of adding Ezeli when they realized the cost of signing him might mean renouncing their restricted free agents including Meyers Leonard, Moe Harkless and Allen Crabbe.
Previously:
– Wojnarowski is reporting the Blazers have agreed to terms with Evan Turner on a 4-year, $70 million deal.
– The Brooklyn Nets are making a push for Allen Crabbe, though the Blazers have said they will match offers for the sharp-shooting wing.
– Several NBA teams have interest in signing Blazers forward Moe Harkless. including the Jazz, Lakers, Wizards, Mavericks and Pistons.
Looking for the league-wide picture on NBA free agency? Sean Meagher has a roundup of the latest news and rumors regarding the top free agents and biggest stories across the NBA in his complete NBA free agency rumors post.
