In 2015, the Portland Trail Blazers selected Rondae Hollis-Jefferson with the 23rd overall pick in the first round of the NBA Draft.
Hollis-Jefferson coming out of the University of Arizona was one of the more prominent names in the draft class and seemed like a solid young piece to add to a roster with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.
Instead, the Blazers decided to trade Hollis-Jefferson and Steve Blake away to the Brooklyn Nets halfway through the second round for Mason Plumlee and Pat Connaughton. Hollis-Jefferson went on to play four seasons with the Nets, and last year he played in 60 games for the Toronto Raptors.
Why the Portland Trail Blazers should keep Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
He was in training camp with the Minnesota Timberwolves but was cut before the 2021 NBA season officially started.
According to NBCSNW Trail Blazers Insider Dwight Jaynes, the Blazers are signing Hollis-Jefferson to a 10-day contract that will become official on Friday, April 9. He won’t come in and make the Trail Blazers championship contenders, but with Covid going on and all the injuries Portland has already dealt with this year, it doesn’t hurt to add a guy like this to the roster.
We will see if the Blazers keep him once his short contract is up but here are three reasons why it would be smart for the Blazers to hold onto Hollis-Jefferson the rest of the season.