The deadline for the Portland Trail Blazers to use that $12.9 million Traded Player Exception it received in the Allen Crabbe trade with Brooklyn expired at the end of the business day today. The Trail Blazers did not use it.

If you were surprised it wasn't used, you haven't been paying much attention.

Deals involving the TPE don't happen often and are difficult to pull off. The TPE would have allowed Portland to take that nearly $13 million exception and ship it to some team for a player earning that much (or less) money.

Problem is, these days not a lot of teams are looking to give away a quality player and get nothing in return. And many teams seem to be willing to pay luxury tax bills at least for this coming season. The Trail Blazers had one year from the Crabbe trade to use the TPE and were actively seeking a way to use it, according to league sources,

There was no comment from the Trail Blazers, whose policy has long been not to comment on things that don't happen -- just the things that DO happen.

But it didn't happen. And that should come as no great surprise.