Tap here to view theScore's NBA Offseason Tracker, which includes the latest transactions and rumors.
The Portland Trail Blazers continue to prepare for life without LaMarcus Aldridge.
The Blazers agreed to a three-year, $20-million deal with power forward Ed Davis on Thursday, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
The deal does not contain any option years, so Davis is in Rip City for the foreseeable future at a very agreeable price. It's a big change from last offseason, when Davis is said to have turned down a deal with the Memphis Grizzlies to hit free agency, only to come up with a two-year deal at the league minimum with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Davis opted out of his $1.1-million player option for this season, and while he said publicly he'd like to return to L.A., his departure shouldn't catch anyone off guard.
It's a nice payday for Davis, who really did well to assert his value in a lost season with the Lakers. The 26-year-old averaged 8.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks, shooting 60.1 percent from the floor and standing as one of the few Lakers to realize that defense is still required when under .500.
He was the fourth-best rebounder among available free agents, finishes well around the rim, and mixes up his undersized-center game with surprising quickness. He's an interesting player, as he doesn't have the shot to be a stretch-four or the size to be a center, but has a lot of skill and is an adequate defender when not asked to protect the rim.
Portland continues to get younger and maintain the flexibility to re-sign both Aldridge and Robin Lopez, should things break differently than they currently appear. Losing a superstar always hurts, but the Blazers are managing the potential fallout quite well.
