The Portland Trail Blazers have been quiet in NBA Free Agency so far this summer. Their Summer League has been full of Yang Hansen hype and their pre-draft process included trading for Jrue Holiday, but Portland has not inked anybody off of the open market yet.
As we said Monday, a few possible candidates remain available for scooping up, should the Blazers desire. If Portland needs a low-cost, fill-out-the-roster player, they have choices between steady veterans and risky swings. None of them are
guaranteed to help, but many of them have promise and all of them come cheap.
Today we’re going to look at five more possible candidates, unrestricted free agents who might come at a low- or minimum-level contract. See if any of these players would pique your interest coming off of the bench for support or maybe longshot improvement.
Kessler Edwards, Dallas Mavericks
As Summer League is demonstrating, Caleb Love might become the new hotness in Portland at the wing position. Love can score, creating his own shot whenever he chooses, and he has a nose for defense. Some people speculate whether his eagerness to control the ball is an asset or detriment, though. He’s a wildcard.
If you like a little more professional experience—a tad more reserve and complementary nature—with your 3-and-D wings, try Kessler Edwards, a two-way player with the Dallas Mavericks. Edwards has spent time with Brooklyn and Sacramento in addition to Dallas. He’s never played more than 21 minutes per game, that as a rookie. He’s not going to take over your rotation. But he’s an active defender who shot 50% from the field and 31% from the three-point arc last season in 40 appearances with the Mavericks.
Edwards is 25 years old, 6’8, and has an even longer wingspan. If the Blazers are looking for a bargain-basement replacement for skipping Carter Bryant with the 11th pick of this year’s draft, Edwards might provide it. He’d certainly be an interesting continuity reserve behind Portland’s other forwards.
Caleb Houstan, Orlando Magic
Continuing on a theme, 6’8 small forward Caleb Houstan is available after the Orlando Magic declined to pick up his option this summer. He’s 22 and will be entering his fourth season in the NBA. He’s known for his motor, his seven-foot wingspan, and defensive chops. To that he’s added a good three-point shot. He fired 37.3% from the arc two seasons ago, 40.0% last year. Almost all of his shots came from distance.
Houstan is under-used; he averaged only 13.6 minutes per game over 58 appearances for the Magic last season. But that’s part of the charm. He can stay towards the back of the rotation, develop, and step into the gaps. If he flourishes, the Blazers have another player in that “long, tall defender” mold, this one with marksmanship. That’s one of the new trends in the NBA, so...
Kai Jones, Dallas Mavericks
Going a completely different direction, Kai Jones is a 6’11 forward-center with incredible defensive mobility and open-floor potential. He played for the Charlotte Hornets and Los Angeles Clippers before joining the Dallas Mavericks last season. That’s a lot of teams for a three-year career, but Jones remains a tantalizing prospect. He’s the opposite of Portland’s big, bulky center brigade. He can run like lightning and defend much smaller players. He’d be the answer for those matchups that Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen were just too big to cover...not anywhere near a starter, but a situational defender in a faster, smaller lineup.
Jones is a good rebounder and holds a 67.1% career field goal percentage, mostly because he’s mopping up easy attempts on the run. But that’s exactly the type of game the Blazers are trying to play nowadays. If Portland isn’t sold on Duop Reath and Robert Williams III isn’t a long-term solution, Kai Jones would be worth a look.
Trey Lyles, Sacramento Kings
Hear me out. Ten-year veteran Trey Lyles isn’t the hottest name on the free agent market. The almost-30-year-old is coming off the end of his run of normal NBA contracts and heading into veteran minimum territory after a mixed four-year stint with the Sacramento Kings. That opens a window for the Blazers to snag a serviceable, well-rounded frontcourt player for their bench. If fans anticipate trading Jerami Grant at any point in the future and don’t anticipate Grant being replaced by another power forward, having Lyles in reserve for 15-20 minutes per game could be beneficial.
Lyles does a little bit of everything. He’s still an amenable defender, though not as good as he was earlier in his career. He can shoot the three, though he slumped from 38% to 34% last season. He rebounds a little, can generate steals. Most importantly, the utility veteran knows how to put his nose down, grind through good times and bad, and continue making a living while contributing in a professional, competitive league. Frankly, Portland’s younger players could use a little of that.
Paying good money for Lyles would probably be an overreach, but if the Blazers are looking to add more veteran voices on the cheap, Lyles could be a nice contributor.
Garrison Mathews, Atlanta Hawks
Here’s another “hear me out” case. Garrison Mathews (one “t”) has spent six years in the pros, playing with the Washington Wizards, Houston Rockets, and Atlanta Hawks. The 28-year-old shooting guard does two things: hit threes and play hard while he’s doing it.
Mathews carries a 38% career average from the arc. He shot 39% last season, down from 44% the season prior. He’d be a target for Yang Hansen and Scoot Henderson in the corners. He can also come off of screens and hit.
Just as importantly, he’s going to bust his butt every moment he’s on the floor and you don’t have to play him regularly to get that effort out of him. A little bit of Mathews might light a fire under Shaedon Sharpe and Portland’s other young players. He would increase the intensity in Portland’s practices the way Steve Blake used to back in the day. That’s not a résumé for your Next Big Thing(tm), but a minimum-contract player going all-out to earn minutes—and hitting plenty of threes when he gets them—wouldn’t be the worst thing for the Blazers and Head Coach Chauncey Billups right now.
My man used to be teammates with Deni Avdija back in Washington too. Bonus.
Up Next
Do any of these players float your boat? If not, take heart. We’re not done yet. Later this week we’ll have one more set of free agents for your perusal!
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- Could Carmelo Anthony End Up in Portland?
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- Portland Trail Blazers Mock Draft Roundup
