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During a flurry of last-second deals at today’s NBA Trade Deadline, ESPN NBA reporter Chris Haynes announced that the Portland Trail Blazers were involved in talks with the Denver Nuggets concerning injured center Festus Ezeli. Those talks fell apart when Denver opted to go with a fully-functional big man.
Denver was close to completing trade for Portland injured big Festus Ezeli, but Nuggets went with a healthy Roy Hibbert, sources tell ESPN.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) February 23, 2017
The Blazers already dealt with the Nuggets once this season, sending center Mason Plumlee to Denver in exchange for Jusuf Nurkic.
Roy Hibbert has averaged 5.2 points per game with 3.6 rebounds in 16 minutes per night for the Milwaukee Bucks. He’s earning $5 million on a single-year contract. Ezeli has not suited up for the Trail Blazers after signing a two-year contract averaging $7.5 million per year, with the second year non-guaranteed.
Given the compensation heading to Milwaukee for Hibbert...
Denver Nuggets sending heavily-protected second round pick to Milwaukee for Roy Hibbert, sources say
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) February 23, 2017
...the Blazers likely would not have received much but cap relief for Ezeli.