/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46663650/usa-today-8317189.0.jpg)
Los Angeles Lakers free agent big man Ed Davis is finalizing a three-year, $20 million deal to join the Portland Trail Blazers, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. The Lakers reached out to express their interest once free agency began, but Portland has swooped in and landed an incredibly cost-efficient deal for a player like Davis. The Lakers did "everything they could" to keep Davis but things "moved too quickly," reports Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
Davis signed a team-friendly deal with the Lakers last summer, hoping to increase his player value and prove he can play a consistent role in a frontcourt rotation. Ed put up career-high numbers and was a high-motor player that worked well with the Lakers' guards in pick-and-rolls. Losing him is a big blow while the free agency market on big men dries out quickly.
Farewell, Ed Davis. He took a risk with a small deal, got his shine on for the Lakers and earned himself a nice pay raise. Thanks for the season.