Portland Trail Blazers: 5 bargain bin targets in 2019 NBA free agency

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4. Michael Carter-Williams

Height: 6’6”
Weight: 190 pounds
Position: PG

The last couple of years, the Blazers have been a place to give guys who had showed promise early on but just never quite figured it out a place to develop and prove themselves. Former NBA Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams fits that mold. He’s been in the league for six seasons and has never played better or more games in a season than he did as a rookie.

Carter-Willams has excellent ball-handling, playmaking vision and size for a guard. He plays solid defense on the perimeter and rebounds well. Where he struggles is shooting, creating offense, scoring and staying healthy.

For his career, he’s averaged 10.9 points, 4.6 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 40.1 percent from the field and 25.1 percent from the 3-point line.

The Blazers had Turner the last couple years, and Carter-Williams is kind of like a worse-shooting, skinnier version of him. Portland liked to use Turner because of his size and ball-handling, and MCW could kind of replace that. The Blazers are going to use Anfernee Simons a lot more this next season, but they still need a guy that can come off the bench and run the offense.

Carter-Williams could get a chance to play some meaningful minutes early on in the season and see if he can create a niche with this team. He will have plenty of talent around him and can play to his strengths as a playmaker who can see above the defense. The Blazers could look to add Carter-Williams for one year at or around the minimum amount required.

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