3w
Mason Plumlee Rumors
All NBA Players
Position: C-F
Born: 03/05/90
Height: 6-11 / 2.11
Weight:245 lbs. / 111.1 kg.
Salary: $14,041,096
Born: 03/05/90
Height: 6-11 / 2.11
Weight:245 lbs. / 111.1 kg.
Salary: $14,041,096
Marc Stein: Team USA has assigned @FIBAWC numbers now that the roster is down to 12: 4. Derrick White 5. Donovan Mitchell 6. Joe Harris 7. Marcus Smart 8. Harrison Barnes 9. Jaylen Brown 10. Jayson Tatum 11. Mason Plumlee 12. Myles Turner 13. Brook Lopez 14. Khris Middleton 15, Kemba Walker
The USA World Cup finalists roster currently includes 13 players — Harrison Barnes (Sacramento Kings); Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics); Joe Harris (Brooklyn Nets); Kyle Kuzma (Los Angeles Lakers); Brook Lopez (Milwaukee Bucks); Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks); Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz); Mason Plumlee (Denver Nuggets), Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics); Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics); Myles Turner (Indiana Pacers); Kemba Walker (Boston Celtics); and Derrick White (San Antonio Spurs).
Following four days of training and Friday night’s USA Blue-USA White intrasquad exhibition game in Las Vegas, USA Basketball announced 17 finalists for the 2019 USA Basketball Men’s World Cup Team. The 17 include 13 athletes from the USA National Team roster and four players from the USA Select Team. Finalists include 2016 Olympic gold medalist Harrison Barnes (Sacramento Kings); Marvin Bagley III (Sacramento Kings); Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics); De’Aaron Fox (Sacramento Kings); Joe Harris (Brooklyn Nets); Kyle Kuzma (Los Angeles Lakers); Brook Lopez (Milwaukee Bucks); Kyle Lowry (Toronto Raptors); Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks); Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz); 2014 World Cup gold medalist Mason Plumlee (Denver Nuggets); Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics); Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics); P.J. Tucker (Houston Rockets); Myles Turner (Indiana Pacers); Kemba Walker (Boston Celtics); and Derrick White (San Antonio Spurs).
Harrison Wind: Monte Morris on Mason Plumlee and Torrey Craig attending Team USA Training Camp: “I think it’s phenomenal…. Them bringing that knowledge from USA Training Camp, if they can bring that to our training camp and teach me some more things about the game, that I’m looking forward to.”
USA National Team members expected at the World Cup training camp include Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat); Harrison Barnes (Sacramento Kings); Jaylen Brown(Boston Celtics); Kyle Kuzma (Los Angeles Lakers); Brook Lopez (Milwaukee Bucks); Kyle Lowry (Toronto Raptors); Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks); Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz); Mason Plumlee (Denver Nuggets), Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics); Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics); P.J. Tucker (Houston Rockets); Myles Turner (Indiana Pacers); Kemba Walker (Boston Celtics); and Thaddeus Young (Chicago Bulls).
Ben Golliver: USA Basketball’s updated World Cup training camp roster: Kyle Lowry, Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart; Donovan Mitchell, Jaylen Brown; Khris Middleton, Harrison Barnes, Jayson Tatum; Julius Randle, Kyle Kuzma, PJ Tucker, Thaddeus Young; Andre Drummond, Myles Turner, Brook Lopez, Mason Plumlee
The National Basketball Association has invested in Nex Team Inc., a mobile artificial intelligence company that has developed HomeCourt, an iPhone-based training application aimed toward youth basketball players. Nex Team had already attracted a wide range investors, including Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, Brooklyn Nets co-owner Joe Tsai, Mason and Miles Plumlee, Al Horford, Sue Bird, Steve Nash and Bradley Beal.
22 Jun
Gallery 22 Jun
2013 NBA re-draft: The way it should have been
Two Euro players selected outside of the lottery in the top spots.
Mason Plumlee: It’s time for the NBA to take the next step in its international expansion and bring the NBA to Mexico City. Not for an occasional game. Not for a G-League franchise. But for the full NBA experience. Give tens of millions of fans a rooting interest. Create new opportunities for our players and the local economy. Make a global statement.
Mason Plumlee: I realize Canada has different economic conditions than Mexico, but the Raptors have proven that an NBA franchise is a solid investment. The Raptors are the most valuable pro sports team in Canada (worth around $2B), more than the Maple Leafs and Blue Jays. My guess is that with the right partner, solid infrastructure and a long-term commitment, a Mexico City franchise could be a giant. Some logistics related to taxes, customs and immigration would need to be sorted out with the government, but maybe that could be part of Trump’s secret tariff deal.
The Nuggets have only three players (Millsap, Barton and Mason Plumlee) who appeared in a playoff game before Game 1 of this series, and they acknowledge it’s an obstacle, especially against a team that can carry out a game plan like the Spurs. “Yes, playoff basketball is everything everybody says it is,” Harris told me Monday, on the eve of Game 2.
Denver often didn’t give itself a chance to see just how good of a look it could create. The Nuggets, according to the team’s internal data, had 41 possessions that featured a shot after one or zero passes. “There are some guys who shoot better off of passes and some guys who shoot better off the dribble, but to me it definitely matters (where the shots come from),” Nuggets center Mason Plumlee said. “To me, offensive rebounds to kickout 3-pointers are some of the best, or inside-out, where they double Joker and you get a standstill look. If you’re flying down the court in transition, maybe it’s a tougher shot. They are different.”
Millsap is averaging 15.2 points and 9.2 rebounds since Feb. 13, shooting 50 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from 3-point range during that stretch, all while making contributions on the other end that should make him a serious candidate for the NBA’s all-defensive team this season. The Nuggets have the NBA’s fifth-rated defense (106.5 points per 100 possessions) since the break, with Millsap serving as the catalyst. “He’s been so steady on both ends,” Nuggets center Mason Plumlee said. “He’s made plays on defense where it seems like he’s always causing problems, whether it’s deflections or taking big charges late in games. He’s rebounding at a high level. Obviously, the scoring and the offense has been drastically different since the All-Star break. He’s playing great, really taking us to another level, and it’s good timing.”
By today’s pace-and-space standards, Jokic and Mason Plumlee are both centers. Yet in an era where teams are more likely to use a wing at the 4 spot over a second big man, Jokic and Plumlee have played 413 minutes together. During that time, the Nuggets have outscored opponents by 11.9 points per 100 possessions, a mark that would easily lead the league over a full season. That jaw-dropping production raises a key question: Can some NBA teams find an edge by zigging when everyone else is zagging, and thus spur a return to bigger lineups? The answer depends on how you define a big man.
Says Denver assistant coach Ryan Bowen, who works with the team’s bigs, “They’re both so skilled in the way they play the game—they’re both playmaking bigs.” Those skills lead to remarkable offensive production when Jokic and Plumlee share the floor. According to Cleaning The Glass, which filters out garbage-time statistics, the Nuggets score 121.8 points per 100 possessions with the Jokic/Plumlee combo. Those lineups sport a 58.5 percent effective field goal percentage, which ranks in the 98th percentile among all NBA lineups, grabs 33.9 percent of available offensive rebounds (99th percentile) and shoots 65.2 percent at the rim (76th percentile). In other words, they take full advantage of their size.
The game got a bit heated early when Utah’s Derrick Favors and Denver’s Mason Plumlee were both ejected with 2:46 left in the first quarter. The two shoved each either under the Nuggets basket, leading to more shoving from multiple players on both teams. Favors and Plumlee each received a technical foul, as did Utah’s Royce O’Neale and Denver’s Will Barton for pushing and shoving in the scrum. Favors finished with two rebounds and zero points in five minutes. Plumlee tallied two points, a rebound and a block in four minutes.
The NBA could determine that Jokic, Gary Harris and Jamal Murray violated the rule forbidding players not participating in the game from leaving the immediate vicinity of the bench during an altercation. Violators of the rule are automatically subjected to a one-game suspension and $50,000 fine. “I think our assistant coaches made sure that nobody was on the court,” Denver coach Mike Malone said. “I have no doubts that our guys stayed where they were supposed to stay.”
An LLC with connections to a trio of NBA brothers, the Plumlee family, has purchased a $5 million condo in a discrete Tribeca building. According to public records, Ego Triping LLC, a company with the same address as the Plumlee family home in Indiana, purchased the Walker Street apartment in an off-market sale from an undisclosed seller. Paperwork from the seller was signed by Howard Altman, a Hollywood business manager whose firm has been linked to Brad Pitt, Tom Hanks and Dawyne “The Rock” Johnson.
His selflessness, not surprisingly, has endeared him to his teammates and gotten the attention of opposing coaches. “I think Mason Plumlee is the most underrated player in the league, the way how he protects the paint, aggressiveness,” Nikola Jokic said. “He cannot shoot, but he’s doing everything else.”
Harrison Wind: Michael Malone yesterday on Mason Plumlee: “From an impact perspective, he is a sixth-man of the year candidate.” Nikola Jokic on Plumlee today: “I think Mason is the most underrated player in the league.”
The Nuggets can’t afford their superstar to be gun shy. The only shot Nikola Jokic took in Wednesday’s 89-87 loss at Memphis came with three seconds left and the Nuggets down two. He had passed on several open looks earlier in the game but with time winding down, Jokic was forced to try from 3-point range, a shot he missed. … “We have stuff, we get him the ball in spots,” forward Mason Plumlee said. “A lot of our offense is through him, so he has to take the initiative to take shots. We support that, we want that, and we don’t want him taking his first shot as the game-winning shot. It’s a great shot, I love the play call, but we gotta get him going earlier. He really sets the table, and the thing is he’s such a good passer, he’s always going to get other guys off. But we gotta get him involved offensively too.”
Jamal Murray scored 14 of his 19 points in the third quarter and Nikola Jokic had 14 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Nuggets, who have won their first four games for the first time since starting 5-0 in 2009-10. The Nuggets swept their three-game homestand, including a win over Golden State on Sunday. “We’re feeling good, we’re playing well,” center Mason Plumlee said. “It’s a long season but we’re going to ride the momentum while we’ve got it.”
Portland faced no serious competition for Jusuf Nurkic before inking him to a four-year, $48 million deal — with only $4 million guaranteed in Year 4, per league sources. On the surface, it resembles Denver bailing out Mason Plumlee with a three-year, $41 million deal when Plumlee had nowhere else to turn. Portland could have played hardball, and dared Nurkic to take the one-year qualifying offer — a scenario in which he would have become an unrestricted free agent after the 2018-19 season.
Marc Stein: The Nuggets continue to make Wilson Chandler, Darrell Arthur and Kenneth Faried all available via trade to deal with their looming luxury-tax crunch, but one source close to the situation said Denver might have to expand its trading-block list to include Mason Plumlee
Denver Nuggets center Mason Plumlee has undergone a successful surgical repair of a core muscle injury this morning. Plumlee will resume basketball related activities this summer and is expected to be at full-strength when the Nuggets open training camp this fall.
06 Apr 18
And for all of Van Gundy’s misfires since taking over the Pistons in 2014, Bullock has been a diamond in the rough, averaging nearly 13 points per game as a starter. “It’s not easy,” Van Gundy said at Wednesday’s practice. “It’s really crazy. It goes to the point of opportunity. People just develop at different rates.” To make his point, Van Gundy pointed to the 2013-14 All-NBA Rookie first team, the year Bullock entered the league. That was a squad that consisted of Michael Carter-Williams, Trey Burke, Victor Oladipo, Mason Plumlee and Tim Hardaway Jr. “I think you’d take (some) other guys over those first-team rookies,” Van Gundy said. “It just shows that people are in a rush to judge you, and it doesn’t always work that way. Now we’re five years in and it’s a different group of guys you’d rather have.”
Harrison Wind: Mason Plumlee (right calf strain) is expected to play Friday vs Spurs but is listed as probable. Two-way player Torrey Craig (left hamstring strain) is out.
Harrison Wind: Mason Plumlee (right calf strain) will not play for Nuggets tonight vs Suns. He’s not expected back until after the All-Star break.
Harrison Wind: Nuggets coach Michael Malone says he doesn’t think Mason Plumlee (right calf strain) will play again until after the All-Star break. He did mention he’s ahead of schedule.
Harrison Wind: Nuggets announce Mason Plumlee (right calf strain) will not play Thursday vs OKC.
Gina Mizell: Semi-update on #Nuggets big man Mason Plumlee’s calf strain: Michael Malone said during pregame availability that he’ll be out for “a little while.” Stayed back in Denver to have MRI today. Could see more Faried, Arthur, etc. tonight against the Spurs and for foreseeable future.
Nuggets center Mason Plumlee takes over the mantle of the NBA’s longest active streak, having appeared in 312 consecutive games.
Gina Mizell: Mason Plumlee flopped while DeMarcus Cousins tried to clear space after grabbing a rebound and Boogie was not pleased: “Just the antics — It’s silly, man. Let me live. That’s all I’m asking … All this trying to villainize me and the way that it’s going, I hate it.” #Nuggets
TJ McBride: #Nuggets injury report vs the #Bulls: Mason Plumlee (core strain) WILL PLAY Wilson Chandler (lower back soreness) is OUT Paul Millsap (left wrist surgery) is OUT
TJ McBride: I just talked to Mason Plumlee about his core injury. He told me it has been bothering him for a week & that it got worse against Memphis. He did not go through all of practice today but he said he is going to play tomorrow against Utah. Injury report has him QUESTIONABLE.
Nurkić also denied that he ever left the arena during a game. “I don’t know where that came from,” he said. “I can’t change the whole world’s opinion. Ask anyone who has played with me and they will say the same thing: I’m a funny dude, I work and I have never had a problem with one of my teammates in my life.” Denver mercifully pulled the trigger on a Nurkić deal last February, sending the center and a first-round pick to Portland in exchange for Mason Plumlee, a second-round pick and cash. Plumlee’s inclusion in the deal ensured that Nurkić would step in as the Blazers’ starting center, fulfilling Nurkić’s top request. “I needed a change of scenery. Both sides needed it,” he said. “I’m thankful Denver let me go where I wanted to go. If I was doing all the bad things that people said, the Nuggets wouldn’t have traded me where I wanted to go, and they probably would have gotten a way better deal than they got.”
Harrison Wind: Mason Plumlee (core strain) is probable for tomorrow vs Lakers. Plumlee played 18 minutes against New Orleans and Michael Malone said the injury will be a “pain tolerance thing” for the time being.
Harrison Wind: Nuggets coach Michael Malone says Mason Plumlee (core strain) is playing tonight. Plumlee had an MRI, he should be a go.
The Sixers were close to a deal last February that would have sent Okafor to Portland. But sources indicated, then and now, that the Blazers changed their plans and went in instead on a deal with Denver that brought them Jusuf Nurkic in exchange for Mason Plumlee. Deals fall through all the time, but this looked especially bad because the 76ers told Okafor to stay home and not go on a road trip with them since they believed a deal was imminent.
Me: There was some talk this summer that some NBA teams asked about you coming over. What didn’t feel right? Was this just not the right time to do it? JV: The thing is, it wasn’t too serious a conversation about it…a lot of bigs was not signed yet (in the NBA). It was too long to wait. First of all, I had the option in my contract, until July 15; I can leave any time up to that, but not past that. For example, Mason Plumlee signed (in Denver) a couple of days ago. That was one of the bigs that wasn’t signed. I wasn’t in a situation where I can talk to the teams and stuff. There was free agency and a lot of bigs at my position. I didn’t pay too much attention; my manager was talking to the teams. I was waiting for the situation but it didn’t get too serious..
“He thinks he’s a starter,” Malone said. “He’s been a starter in the NBA. Mason Plumlee’s been a starter on a playoff team, as well … if what’s best for our team is to bring Kenneth off the bench, right now, hey, go out there and play to the best to your ability.”
The Denver Nuggets have re-signed center Mason Plumlee to a multi-year contract, President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly announced today. Acquired in a trade with Portland on February 13th, Plumlee, 6-11, 245, appeared in 27 games for Denver in 206-17, averaging 9.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.10 blocks in 23.4 minutes per game.
18 Sep 17
Mason Plumlee: I am thrilled to be a Denver Nugget. I am grateful that we got a deal done and excited for the challenge of the season to come. I meant what I said when I was traded here last year. This is an exciting, talented young team with a bunch of high character guys and I’ve always admired the loyalty and dedication of Nuggets fans. With some of the big additions this summer and another year of experience for the young guns, I believe this team can compete with anyone in the league.
I want to get to know you. Like I said, my time in Denver was brief last season. I want to meet the people of this amazing city and explore as much as I can. I can’t wait to check out the galleries on Santa Fe, sample some of that Colorado green chile and see the Rockies in all their glory. A friend of mine told me about the “Mi Tierra” exhibit at the Denver Art Museum, so definitely adding that to my list. Any other fun ideas reach out on social media, or text me anytime on my Superphone at 931-805-4447. I want to hear your recommendations. I want to know what makes Denver great and why everyone keeps moving here.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Restricted free agent Mason Plumlee has agreed to a three-year, $41M deal to return to Denver, league sources tell ESPN.
Denver now with $5M in cap space after the Mike Miller waiver. The $3.5M contract for Miller would have been guaranteed if not waived by July 12. The Nuggets still have a $5.8M free agent hold of Mason Plumlee counting against the cap.
The Denver Nuggets have tendered a qualifying offer to Mason Plumlee, which will make him a restricted free agent. Plumlee’s qualifying offer is worth approximately $4.59 million.
Mason Plumlee: I’m excited to launch my website today. I’ve been noting experiences, relationships, and thoughts through the past year and I look forward to sharing it all through this site. Basketball is my passion and the game has opened doors I never thought possible. I’m more excited about what’s to come in my career than what’s already been. This will be my outlet to anyone interested in following. I guess I’m a blogger now. Upward and onward -Mason Link in bio www.masonplumlee.com
22 May 17
Video 22 May 17
Free agent look: Mason Plumlee
The plan is to sign center Mason Plumlee to a new contract. Plumlee came to the Nuggets in a trade deadline deal with Portland. “Mase brought a lot of what we thought he would bring – intensity, a vertical threat at the rim,” Connelly said. “An athletic big. A very good passer. It’s not an easy transition going from a starter to the third or fourth big. … When we traded for him, we traded for him for the purpose of bringing him back. Barring something unforeseen or some dramatic shift, we’re pretty excited to talk to his representatives this summer and figure something out.”
Albert Nahmad: Nurkic trade could be more beneficial than realized, with @BobbyMarks42 revelation that Harkless has $500K bonus for shooting 35%+ on 3s. To start the regular season, Blazers were at risk of paying the tax if Harkless earned that $500K bonus. They would’ve been $403K over. Harkless was last contract signed by Blazers this summer, so they gave him the $500K bonus knowing it could take them above tax. Then something odd happened: Harkless started shooting fairly well on his 3-pointers… This is where the Nurkic deal comes in… Blazers saved $407K against the cap by trading Plumlee for Nurkic, keeping them $4,462 below luxury tax even if Harkless earns his bonus. Blazers, for 16-17, secured a ~$550K tax distribution (and no payment) in Nurkic trade. More importantly, repeater tax clock doesn’t start! Blazers, for 17-18, exchanged a potentially costly RFA in Plumlee for $2.9M salary of Nurkic + now official Grizzlies 2017 1st in the trade. Did math contribute to trade idea for Blazers, or did it just happen to work out? Who knows. But Nurkic, despite injury, has fit very well!
Kyle Weidie: Mason Plumlee just got Draymond’d by Markieff Morris.
Chris Dempsey: #Nuggets C Nikola Jokic (illness) is OUT of tonight’s game vs. Sacramento. Mason Plumlee will start in his place
TJ McBride: Mason Plumlee is STARTING for Denver tonight against the Timberwolves.
TJ McBride: Malone on if he has contemplated starting Plumlee tonight due to injures: “I’ve contemplated a lot of things.” No official word.
Why trade Mason Plumlee and why right now? Olshey: Well, you know, look Mason’s impending free agency was certainly a factor. We love Mason. We’re going to miss him around here. We wouldn’t have been in the second round of the playoffs last year without him. But there’s certain realities to managing our (salary) cap. We felt like we needed to get younger at the center position. We wanted more of a low post player, someone that could defend size, strength. We found that with Jusuf. And, look, this is the hard part of the business is you have guys that you get attached … but you’ve got to make business decisions. We felt like in the long run this will pay longer dividends, having a young guy on a rookie scale (contract). We manage our cap with it. He gives us a different look defensively. He’s a big time rebounder. And I think he’ll make the game easier for guys like Dame (Lillard) and CJ (McCollum) because we’ve got more presence in the paint now defensively.
“The deal was not done just for today. It was done for the years going forward,” Tim Connelly said. “We think having his restricted rights and having the ability for him to get to know him and for him to get to know us was important. We looked at our free agent board and he was a guy we circled early in the process and, quite frankly, we did not feel confident that we could get him without a move like this.”
“He’s here for the long-term,” Connelly said. “What is great about restricted rights and having a ton of money is that it is up to us to keep him. So I think he is a guy who can add to an already strong young core.”
The Denver Nuggets have acquired center Mason Plumlee, a 2018 second round draft pick and cash consideration from Portland in exchange for center Jusuf Nurkić and a 2017 protected first round pick via Memphis, General Manager and Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly announced today.
The Portland Trail Blazers have acquired center Jusuf Nurkic and the rights to Memphis’ 2017 first round draft pick from the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Mason Plumlee, a 2018 second round pick and cash considerations, it was announced today by president of basketball operations Neil Olshey. “We are pleased to add a young center with Jusuf’s talent and potential to our roster and excited by the prospect of three first round picks in the 2017 NBA Draft,” said Olshey. “We also want to thank Mason for his many contributions to the organization these past two seasons. His presence will be missed and we wish him all the best for the future.”
Damian Lillard stunned by Mason Plumlee's trade
If you were caught off guard by news the Blazers had traded their starting center to the Denver Nuggets for Jusuf Nurkic and a first-round draft pick, you were not alone. Plumlee’s teammates were just as shocked to see such an integral part of the team shipped away in the midst of a playoff chase. “It’s a tough one, man,” Lillard said. “Mase was one of our guys; like a brother to me. I have a great bond with Mase, on and off the floor. It’s sucked to see him go … and we’re definitely going to miss him. I was very surprised. I figured if it was going to happen with anybody, it wouldn’t be Mase, just because he meant that much to our team and did so many things for our team on the floor.”
When Lillard showed up for work Sunday, he darted straight toward the locker room, hoping he might catch Plumlee before he left. Sure enough, Plumlee was cleaning out his locker. Lillard and Plumlee had developed a tight bond the last two seasons, sharing a common passion for winning, working hard and playing the game the right way. Lillard is the Blazers’ captain and undisputed leader, but he said Plumlee — like him — was never shy about speaking up in the locker room or during a game when he felt like the team needed a reality check. Lillard said he always respected how hard Plumlee worked and how unselfish he was as a player.
“I just told him how much I appreciate him as a teammate and he was one of my favorite teammates that I ever played with,” Lillard said. “Not just in the NBA, but in my life period. I’ll miss him for sure.”
On Sunday, Plumlee was curious about the previous day’s scene. “Let me ask you something,’’ Plumlee said. “Is (the trade) what you and Stotts were talking about yesterday?’’ I told him the truth – it was not part of our conversation — and told him I didn’t know whether Stotts knew something was brewing. Recently, Plumlee said he had conversations with his agent, Mark Bartlestein about his future. Plumlee is set to become a free agent this summer after he and the Blazers didn’t come to terms on a contract extension this fall.
Plumlee said his agent had talks with the Blazers, but the Blazers never made an offer before the Oct. 31 deadline, setting him up to be one of the more prized big men on the free agent market this summer. “As I talked to my agent (recently), he said he would be surprised if I was moved before trade deadline,’’ Plumlee said. But there he was Sunday morning, sitting in Olshey’s office with Stotts. “They really handled the trade in a classy manner,’’ Plumlee said. “They thanked me, and I thanked them. This organization has always been very good to me.’’
Plumlee’s teammates were just as shocked to see such an integral part of the team shipped away in the midst of a playoff chase. “It’s a tough one, man,” Lillard said. “Mase was one of our guys; like a brother to me. I have a great bond with Mase, on and off the floor. It’s sucked to see him go … and we’re definitely going to miss him. I was very surprised. I figured if it was going to happen with anybody, it wouldn’t be Mase, just because he meant that much to our team and did so many things for our team on the floor.”
As fate would have it, Mason Plumlee was at the Trail Blazers practice facility earlier than normal on Sunday. Players are required to be at the team’s facility by 10:15 a.m. for an 11 a.m. practice, but Plumlee on Sunday was there at 9:30 a.m. in order to expedite a pressing order. Earlier that morning, as he approached his SUV in the parking garage of his Pearl District complex, he noticed someone had broken into his car. His mind raced. Gone was his checkbook. His wallet.
“I went in early to the facility to start cancelling my checkbook, my credit cards,’’ Plumlee said. “And someone said, ‘Neil wants to meet with you.’’’ When Plumlee arrived at the office of Neil Olshey, the Blazers’ president of basketball operations, coach Terry Stotts was also in the office. “They told me I wasn’t going to practice today,’’ Plumlee said. Plumlee, the Blazers’ starting center who was having a career season, had been traded to Denver for 22-year-old center Jusuf Nurkic and a 2017 first round pick.
