Portland Trail Blazers: Free agent forwards to consider
Alex Len, Phoenix Suns (Photo by Gobierno CDMX, via Flickr).
Finding value
Alex Len 27, 7-0, $4.16M: 2019 – 15.5 mpg, 8.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg.
Len battled through several injuries last year, which limited him to only 15 games. He’s a throwback to an earlier era when teams looked to get the ball inside first. Even though he isn’t a great fit in the modern NBA, Len can be an effective backup center due to his defense and rebounding.
JaMychal Green 30, 6-8, $4.77: 2019: 20.7 mpg, 6.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 38.7 3pt%.
Much like Rodney Hood, he walked away from a $5M guarantee for next season. A very odd decision in this market, and considering the Clippers have a very good team. Green is a journeyman who can eat minutes, defend and play tough on the boards, not to mention nailing some treys along the way.
Nerlens Noel 26, 6-10, $2.03M: 18.5 mpg, 7.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg.
An ideal backup center, Noel’s been a productive player for several years in mostly limited minutes. He’s a good on-ball defender averaging 1.3 steals and 1.4 blocks over a six-year career. Athletic and active, Noel has a tendency to get out of defensive position. Still, he’s only 26-years-old and has plenty of mileage left, and time to improve.
Harry Giles 22, 6-11, $2.58M: 2019 – 20.7 mpg, 6.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg.
Giles is a bit of an enigma. He’s certainly a talented player but never reached his full potential in Sacramento due to injuries. After declining nearly $4M to stay in Sac-town, Giles is unrestricted at 22 years-old. He’s certainly young enough to turn his career around. Giles was a Trail Blazer for a microsecond. He was part of the draft trade that brought Collins to Portland.
Drew Eubanks 23, 6-9, $1.6M: 2019 – 12.4 mpg, 4.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg.
A bargain basement pickup. Undrafted out of Oregon State, he proved to be useful on both defense and the boards for San Antonio while in the bubble. Eubanks will be very inexpensive but also comes with some confidence that he can contribute on a good team.
It feels like Cauley-Stein has been around forever, but he’s only 27. The former Kentucky Wildcats star is still valuable in a relief role. Cauley-Stein can switch effectively on the pick and roll and, by recent accounts, has worked hard on improving his game since Orlando. Maybe the best part of signing him is the price tag – cheap.
Which free agents do you think the Portland Trail Blazers should sign? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.