New Trail Blazer Ed Davis: "Portland wanted and needed me"

Ed Davis, the projected starting power forward for the Portland Trail Blazers, spoke with Brett Pollakoff of Fox Sports regarding his new situation in Portland, playing alongside Damian Lillard, and his former teammate Kobe Bryant.

Davis, who signed a three-year, $20 million contract with Portland after spending last season with the Los Angeles Lakers, said he did not want to wait on free agency and for teams to judge cap room.

I just wanted to be somewhere where they wanted me and needed me, and like I said, Portland was definitely that team.

He told Pollakoff that the Blazers will be able to fight every night behind Lillard.

...all we need to do is to keep it close until the end, and then get on his back and we’ll be fine.

Davis also enjoyed Lillard setting up a mini-camp for the new Blazers, enabling them to work together in San Diego.

It was just great team bonding, especially with all the new guys we have on the team, it was a chance to get to know each other before training camp starts up.

There's much more in the interview. It's worth a read.

Davis averaged 8.3 points and a career-high 7.6 rebounds for Los Angeles last season.  He was originally drafted in the first round in 2010 by the Toronto Raptors out of North Carolina, and has spent time with the Lakers, Raptors, and Memphis Grizzlies.  He averages 7.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game over his career.