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Wells: Pacers RFA C Roy Hibbert In Portland To Sign Offer

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Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star reports on Twitter that Indiana Pacers restricted free agent center Roy Hibbert is in Portland in preparation for the end of the NBA's free agency moratorium, which will allow him to make official a 4-year, $58 million offer sheet agreement with the Portland Trail Blazers. ---------------------------------- Restricted free agent Roy Hibbert is already in Portland where he'll sign his offer sheet (4 yrs $58 mill) w them at 9 pm PST [Tuesday]. ---------------------------------- The Pacers will then have three days to decide whether or not to match the offer. Pacers president Donnie Walsh said last week that retaining Hibbert was the team's "first priority." While Pacers coach Frank Vogel said before free agency opened that Hibbert "wasn't going anywhere" there are some who don't view the Pacers matching as a slam dunk. It was reported last week that the Pacers would begin to investigate other potential options at center in case they didn't match on Hibbert and they met with New Orleans Hornets unrestricted free agent center Chris Kaman. Blazers GM Neil Olshey made Hibbert his first stop of the 2012 Free Agency period. Hibbert was reportedly "blown away" by Portland's approach. Hibbert, 25, just completed his fourth season with the Indiana Pacers, posting career-high averages of 12.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game. He played in 65 of Indiana's 66 games last season. Hibbert, listed at 7-foot-2 and 278 pounds, is generally regarded as a top-5 free agent in this year's class and the best available center. -- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter