"Greg Oden is returning to the Trail Blazers.

The free agent center will sign a one-year qualifying offer with the Trail Blazers on Friday according to agent Bill Duffy. Oden, who turns 24 in January, will be paid $8.9 million this season.

Starting Friday, Oden was eligible to receive free agent offers from other teams, after which the Blazers would have three days to match. But Oden took other teams out of the equation by deciding to return to the Blazers.

"The mission has not been accomplished,'' Duffy said Thursday. "The Blazers have stood by Greg, and now he is going to stand by them.''"