Portland Trail Blazers: 3 realistic targets in free agency
By Jerry Trotta
There are plenty of intriguing NBA players that will hit free agency this offseason. Here are three that the Portland Trail Blazers should target.
The Portland Trail Blazers regressed markedly in 2019 after reaching the Western Conference Finals last season. Before live sports went dark as the coronavirus pandemic spread, Portland was on the outside looking in regards to the playoff picture with a 29-37 record.
As impressive as Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum were playing, there’s only so much that they can do in an unrelenting West, and simply too many of their trusted sidekicks were shelved with injuries for a chunk of the season.
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When the season was suspended by commissioner Adam Silver, budding big man Jusuf Nurkic was still recovering from the gruesome leg injury he suffered on the cusp of last year’s postseason.
On top of that, Zach Collins (shoulder) and Rodney Hood (Achilles) were limited to a combined 24 games. That’s over 40 points and 20 rebounds of production per game down the tube.
Pair those injuries with the key losses of Seth Curry, Maurice Harkless, Al-Farouq Aminu, and Enes Kanter in free agency, and you’ll fully realize why the Trail Blazers struggled to replicate their 2018 success. Trading for defensive and rebounding force Hassan Whiteside hasn’t exactly panned out, despite what his stat line might articulate. Luckily for Portland, they will be freed of his bloated $27 million annual salary when he hits the open market this offseason.
Speaking of which, Rip City should look to wreak some major havoc in free agency in due time. It remains to be seen if play will resume, and if it does, Silver might choose to dive right into the playoffs — meaning that the Blazers’ season would be over, which wouldn’t be the worst thing.
With all of this in mind, let’s highlight three engaging but realistic players that Portland should pursue in free agency this offseason.