At one point, Festus Ezeli was predicted to land $50 million over three years in free agency.
But even in this wild market, injury concerns forced him to settle for just $8.4 million guaranteed from the Trail Blazers.
Their calculated risk isn’t paying off so far.
CSN Northwest:Portland Trail Blazers center Festus Ezeli had his left knee injected with a bone marrow aspirate concentrate and Orthovisc today in Chicago.
The injection, performed by Dr. Brian Cole, is intended to alleviate pain and improve function.
Ezeli will be sidelined for six weeks.
This timeline would have Ezeli out for the beginning of training camp but back well before the regular season begins. Even if this puts Ezeli behind schedule, Portland has center depth in Mason Plumlee, Meyers Leonard and Ed Davis.
The Trail Blazers had to know they couldn’t completely depend on Ezeli to remain healthy.
Still, he’s a rim protector unlike Portland’s other options. The Blazers lose versatility and the ability to play better defense while he’s out.