Ronnie Price Inked Deal With Portland Trailblazers


The Blazers added free agent guard Ronnie Price (for the veteran’s minimum) to their roster on Wednesday, per the Oregonian: “Rookie Damian Lillard is expected to be the Blazers’ starting point guard and second-year player Nolan Smith the backup, so GM Neil Olshey has been searching for a mentor to help accelerate the young players’ learning curves. He decided Ronnie Price, a 6-foot-2, seven-season veteran, was the ideal fit. ‘He’s a totally different look than what Damian and Nolan bring to the table,’ Olshey said, ‘and I think he’ll really complement those guys.’ Price, 29, played for the Sacramento Kings and Utah Jazz before signing with the Phoenix Suns in 2011-12 and holds career averages of 3.6 points, 1.4 assists and 1.1 rebounds per game. Price mostly has come off the bench in his career, serving as a backup to All-Star point guards Deron Williams and Steve Nash.”