Festus Ezeli Trade Rumors: Latest News, Speculation Surrounding Blazers C

With the Feb. 23 trade deadline quickly approaching, the Festus Ezeli era may be nearing an end before it ever began with the Portland Trail Blazers. 

Continue for updates.

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Blazers Reportedly Shopping Ezeli

Sunday, Feb. 12

ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported Sunday the Blazers are looking to deal Ezeli before the deadline.

Ezeli was part of the Trail Blazers' offseason spending spree, signing a two-year, $15.1 million deal. Like almost all of Portland's various moves during the summer, the 27-year-old has been a disappointment so far. He hasn't appeared in a game this year, and Stein and ESPN.com colleague Chris Haynes reported in December that season-ending knee surgery is a possibility.

Despite Ezeli's injury problems, the Blazers may be able to find a taker if they're desperate to offload him. Stein noted his $7.4 million salary this year could help one of the teams that remains below the league's salary floor. Ezeli only carries $1 million guaranteed next year as well.

Portland (23-31) is one game back of the Denver Nuggets for the eighth seed in the West, but the team's acquisition of Jusuf Nurkic points to the Blazers focusing more on the long term rather than short-term contention.

The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Portland sent Mason Plumlee and a future second-round draft pick to the Nuggets for Nurkic and a 2017 first-rounder, giving the Blazers three first-round selections this year.

The Blazers have the third-highest payroll in the NBA, per Spotrac, so shedding Ezeli's salary would give the team a little more financial relief in what is an underwhelming 2016-17 campaign.