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The Portland Trail Blazers were linked to interest in restricted free agent center Tiago Splitter, but multiple reports indicate that he is expected to re-sign with the San Antonio Spurs.
Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports on Twitter...
Hearing Spurs and Tiago Splitter have ramped up talks and are making progress toward deal terms
Word is teams that were pursuing restricted free agent big man appear to be dropping off in anticipation of Spurs & Splitter coming to terms
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports...
The San Antonio Spurs are finalizing a five-year, $45 million contract extension for center Tiago Splitter, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. [See below]
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Portland had strongly considered signing Splitter to an offer sheet near the $9 million salary that Spurs paid, but Splitter's representatives and San Antonio worked out most of the details of an agreement on Monday night and into Tuesday, sources said.
Update:
There won't be a fifth year on the Splitter deal. The terms will be four years, $36 million-plus, sources tell Y! Sports.
Portland had the space to offer a four-year, $36M offer sheet on Splitter.
It was reported Sunday that the Blazers were expected to chase Splitter.
Last week, John Canzano of The Oregonian reported that the Blazers were interested in Splitter and Minnesota Timberwolves restricted free agent center Nikola Pekovic.
Splitter, 28, averaged 10.3 points and 6.4 rebounds in 81 games for the Spurs last season.
-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter