Last night Marcus Camby got a phone call during dinner. Instead of it being a telemarketer, it was GM Kevin Pritchard breaking the news to the 14-year vet that he was now a Portland Trail Blazer. Evidently, at least according to this report, Camby was not happy with the news and left Ringside (where he was dining with the rest of the Los Angeles Clippers) mid-meal.

Wasted steak and hurt feelings aside, trading Steve Blake and Travis Outlaw (and possibly some cash) for Camby is a big deal for Portland. All involved parties have expiring contracts, meaning that no player is obligated to stay with their new team after the season ends in a few months. That means Outlaw will test the free-agent market and might return next year, while Blake, um, well, it was nice knowing you.

But this is about Camby. What he offers the injury-depleted Blazers is rebounds, rebounds, rebounds, and more rebounds. He's ranked second in the NBA (behind superstar Dwight Howard) in boards, and will provide the stopgap this team needs under the basket. He's also sixth in the league in blocks (nearly two a game), and while his game is far from flashy, Camby brings the no-frills reliability the Blazers so desperately crave.

Also, it should be noted, he is a great role model for Greg Oden. Earlier in his career Camby was Oden (with the exception of the dong photos). After back-to-back seasons where he was only healthy enough to play in 35% of his team's games, Camby was written-off as an injury-prone liability. Since that time, he's escaped that tag and is now known as one of the premier defensive players in the league.

Also, are there are any Blogtown readers that also happen to work at Ringside? Can you let us know the fate of Camby's half-eaten steak?