Few Former Portland Trail Blazers That The Team Can Re-Sign This Summer

The Portland Trail Blazers can reunite with these five players available in free agency.

The Portland Trail Blazers will have limited free agency flexibility this offseason. Portland’s potential spending power is the taxpayer’s mid-level exception, worth $5.2 million. Given their relatively small market, poor record, and lack of budget, making a compelling case for players to sign with Portland this summer will be challenging. But sometimes, the easiest way to get talent in free agency is to have a prior relationship with the player.

Honorable mention: Wesley Matthews, who spent five seasons with the Blazers earlier in his career, is also a free agent. However, he’s 37 and could decide to retire. Even if he does continue playing in the NBA, a reunion with the Blazers doesn’t make much sense for either party.

1. Trendon Watford

Brooklyn Nets’ Trendon Watford provides a bit of versatility to rosters, which the Blazers are currently missing. He’s a 6-foot-8 forward who shot an efficient 52.7 percent from the field and 39.7 percent from three, along with 6.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. Watford had remarkably similar numbers with Portland in the 2022-23 season, making it perplexing that General Manager Joe Cronin decided to waive him in the first place.

Teams are coveting big men who can stretch the floor on offense. Watford fits the bill, is cheap, and still has untapped potential with only three seasons under his belt at 23 years old. The Blazers should never have let Watford go, and now have a chance to fix their mistake in free agency.

2. Drew Eubanks

Drew Eubanks signed a two-year, $5 million contract last offseason with the Phoenix Suns, which includes a player option for the upcoming 2024-25 season. Currently, it seems unlikely that Eubanks will opt out of his option. However, the NBA is ever-evolving, and nothing is set in stone until the contract is officially signed.

Eubanks’ numbers decreased in Phoenix mainly due to his diminished role – he went from playing 20.3 minutes per game to 15.6 minutes. As a result, he only averaged 5.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, both of which are the lowest since his 2021-22 season with the San Antonio Spurs. However, he was still his efficient self when on the court, shooting over 60 percent from the field and providing contagious energy coming off the bench.

Especially with Robert Williams III’s injury history, the Blazers could use another big man in their rotation. If Eubanks does decide to opt out of his contract, Portland should consider looking into a reunion for the hometown favorite. There’s a human element in free agency that often gets overlooked; the fact that Eubanks went to college at Oregon State and grew up in Troutdale could potentially play a role in deciding to return.

3. Keon Johnson

The Brooklyn Nets may let Keon Johnson, who was on a two-way contract, walk in free agency. There are certain areas of his game that Johnson needs to improve in order to see more minutes, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be in the league at all. Still only 22, Johnson could be given more time to develop in Portland.

Johnson has excellent athleticism and is already an offensive threat in terms of his slashing and ability. He needs to improve his efficiency, as he has yet to reach 40 percent from the field in a single season. In Johnson’s three seasons in the league, he’s shot nearly the same from the field (36.3 percent) as the three-point line (34.6 percent); this also ties into his shot selection. Johnson is a capable spot-up shooter but gets in trouble when he tries to do too much as a shot-creator. With more experience, he should grow into his role and become a better decision-maker on offense.

Defensively, Johnson gets lost at times. But there is reason for optimism as well. His athleticism, 6-foot-5 frame, and amount of energy he expends on that side of the ball suggest that he can eventually become a net-positive defender. If the Blazers were to bring him back, he must become a better defender since they already have enough young guards who are more offensive-minded.

Giving him another chance and more time would allow Johnson to develop and tap into his upside. It’s too early to give up on the No. 21 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, and it wouldn’t require much to bring him back to Rip City.

4. Mason Plumlee

Mason Plumlee has had an underappreciated career. At 34, he’s still a serviceable role player. Last season with the Los Angeles Clippers, Plumlee averaged 5.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. As mentioned with Watford, the Blazers need more versatility on their roster, and Plumlee would help in that department. For Watford, it was shooting, but Plumlee’s standout trait for a center is his playmaking.

Plumlee has a high basketball IQ and consistently makes the right reads. Having more big men depth can’t hurt, especially if they are versatile enough to give teams different looks. The main question is whether Plumee would even be interested in a reunion with Portland. At this stage in his career, Plumlee likely wants to be on a contending team. If he did go to a lottery team, it would only make sense if it was for an increased role or salary, neither of which the Blazers can offer.

But, two of Plumlee’s best seasons in his career were with the Blazers. In the 2016-17 season, Plumlee averaged a well-rounded 11.1 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and 1.2 blocks a game. Perhaps he wants to relive his glory days.

5. Dennis Smith Jr.

Dennis Smith Jr. is slowly turning into an NBA journeyman. Despite being 26, he’s already played for six teams. As the No. 9 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft out of NC State, Smith showed a lot of promise in his rookie season with the Mavericks, averaging 15.2 points, 5.2 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and one steal a game. His aggressive, downhill-attacking style of play at NC State, which made him a lottery pick, translated well at the beginning of his stint with Dallas.

Unfortunately, Smith Jr. hasn’t been the same player since his rookie year and has yet to find his right landing spot. He was limited to 37 games with the Blazers in the 2021-22 season. Portland could technically give Smith Jr. another chance in free agency this summer, but there are some question marks regarding his fit.

As of now, the Blazers have a massive log jam at guard position. But even if it clears up and Portland trades one of Malcolm Brogdon or Anfernee Simons, Smith’s skill set is pretty redundant to that of Scoot Henderson’s. Both are inefficient, undersized guards who aren’t great shooters at this stage in their respective careers. Both of their strengths are as highly athletic and are great at putting pressure on defenses when they attack the paint.

If the Blazers add another guard in free agency, it would make more sense to bring in someone who can better complement Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe’s athleticism with their ability to space the floor.