The return of Joel Przybilla
Much of Rip City was saddened when the Portland Trail Blazers announced that they were trading center and fan favorite Joel Przybilla, forward Dante Cunningham and Sean Marks to the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for Gerald Wallace. It was a bittersweet moment because the fact that we were getting Wallace for practically nothing, but a longtime player in Przybilla who is one of the toughest yet awesome guys in the league.
Rumors had been swirling over the past few months that after Przybilla became a free agent that Portland should open talks again. For awhile it was believed that Przybilla would set his eye for either the Chicago Bulls or Miami Heat, but constant talks with Portland ended up working for everyone.
It was confirmed by a few news sources that Joel and the Blazers have agreed to a veteran’s contract, which hasn’t been made public as of yet. Jason Quick of The Oregonian reported that: “Przybilla has chosen Portland, but signing won’t be official until he passes physical in Portland on Sunday. To sign Przybilla, the Blazers will have to waive a player. The candidates: Armon Johnson, Greg Oden, Chris Johnson.”
Przybilla’s career averages include 4.0 points per game, 1.5 blocks and 6.3 rebounds. The Vanilla Gorilla is back!
photo courtesy of bleacherreport.com
Nicholas Filipas