It's Official: Marcus Camby Is a Portland Trail Blazer

According to MSNBC, Yahoo! Sports, and LAtimes.com, guard Steve Blake and forward Travis Outlaw, along with three million in cash, have been traded to the Clippers for center Marcus Camby.

If there was a team in the NBA that needed a capable center, it was the Portland Trail Blazers.

The 6'11" center is just what the doctor ordered after both Joel Przybilla and Greg Oden suffered season ending knee injuries. Camby's eight points and 12 boards per game, along with his two blocked shots, will make the Trail Blazers a realistic threat to make a playoff run.

When Brandon Roy returns, we should expect the Blazers to compete for home court advantage in the West.

Although, the trade news came with a sour twist.

When the center was informed that he could be traded to the Blazers, he stormed out of the Portland restaurant during a team meeting. Apparently, it wasn't the Trail Blazers organization that Camby was frustrated about—it was the lack of communication between the organization and himself on a personal level.

Considering the Portland Trail Blazers success has, in the past, hinged on the team chemistry, the happiness of the veteran is key to this being a successful trade.

So, what do the Blazers get?

They get a solid center that can hold his own on one end of the court and dominate on the other. He cleans the glass every night and is experienced enough to help navigate the Blazers to a respectable postseason finish.

Plus, Camby's contract is expiring at the end of this season, which means that the 10 million dollars that the center is owed will come off the books.

Could we have another summer of 2010 participant?

What do the Blazers lose?

They lose a respectable point guard in Steve Blake that has the ability to spread the floor and hit the three. He can pass the ball very well and very rarely turns the ball over.

With Travis Outlaw, they lose potential and chemistry. Outlaw is one of the fan favorites and has been known to score in bunches.

But with that, Travis tends to be a very streaky shooter. One night he could go 9-for-11 from the field and the next 1-for-5. Considering he doesn't rebound, his shooting is key to his game to game success.

And, of course, three million dollars.

Over the past month, Portland has been looking for a center; they considered Brendan Haywood, Tyrus Thomas, and Camby.

But they obviously settled on Marcus, which is big because it offers the team instant relief and flexibility for the future. Travis Outlaw seemed to just be treading water in his skill development and Blake was the victim of youth, considering the Blazers were looking to give Bayless more minutes towards his development.

Once again, Portland can have realistic expectations of their team.