Portland Trail Blazers: Complete 2018 offseason grades

Signing Nik Stauskas

Nik Stauskas was the Blazers’ first free agent signing of the offseason. ESPN‘s Chris Haynes reported that the two parties agreed to terms on a one-year, minimum-salary deal just over two hours into the free agent moratorium.

The former No. 8 overall pick has had a bumpy road over his first four years in the league, averaging just 7.0 points per game with three different franchises. Portland hopes this team will finally be the right fit for him.

Stauskas comes in as another sharpshooter to help fortify the perimeter attack. Even with his struggles over the years, he has still managed to shoot 36.8 percent from beyond the arc in 2016-17 and 40.0 percent in 2017-18. If he manages to crack the rotation this season, it is because he will be lethal off of the catch, able to knock down shots in volume.

However, Stauskas struggles in a lot of other aspects, namely defense. Having him on the floor too long could make him a liability, especially if he is pitted against more offensively gifted 2-guards and small forwards.

Nik Stauskas could very well be a good fit in Portland, as his best skill fills a team need. However, this deal barely registers on the radar compared to other moves that happened in the West, and certainly doesn’t sway the team’s chances of contending in either direction.

Grade: C