Wesley Matthews free agency: Teams to be wary of

Wesley Matthews started his NBA journey from the bottom, and (quoth Drake) now he’s here—but will he still be here come next season? An undrafted free agent in 2009, Matthews was picked up by the Utah Jazz before the Trail Blazers stole him away in 2010 free agency. Five years later, he now enters free agency once again, this time unrestricted. The Trail Blazers would love to hold onto him, but if properly incentivized by other teams, he could be so far gone.

Whether or not that incentive comes in the form of a lucrative offer sheet depends largely on the health of his surgically repaired Achilles. For most players that have suffered Achilles ruptures, nothing was the same upon return. However, Matthews’ non-reliance on explosiveness could mean a solid comeback season, regardless of injury. There are still several teams that may be willing to take a risk on him. After all, Matthews at 80 percent is still better than 80 percent of available shooting guards.

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So who do the Trail Blazers have to watch out for? Who might try to woo Matthews away from the Rose City? There are plenty of teams with room for improvement. Aside from the obvious rebuilders like the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers that have money to blow, there are a handful of teams that make sense to pursue the talented 3-and-D guard.

Perhaps topping the shortlist are the Boston Celtics, who are rumored to have interest in a potential sign-and-trade with the Trail Blazers for Matthews and 4x All-star LaMarcus Aldridge. They have a lot of young talent to offer in return should Portland teeter toward implosion, and cap-space to accommodate just about all the dreams money can buy. Of course, any potential sign-and-trade hinges on the interest of the free agents involved, so unless Aldridge and Matthews really want to make some headlines, the Celtics will be making no new friends from Portland.

Next in line are the Memphis Grizzlies, who have long been in need of more 3-point shooters; especially ones like Matthews that fit their defensive persona. Pushing current shooting guard Courtney Lee into a 6 man role would not be a problem if it meant adding Matthews to the roster. Depending on what happens with Jeff Green (player option) and/or Marc Gasol (unrestricted) they could have plenty of space.

Returning to the team that first gave him a chance is sneakily not out of the question either. Once the Jazz traded Enes Kanter to the Oklahoma City Thunder, they played like an elite defensive team. Lord knows what a lineup featuring Dante Exum, Matthews, Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, and Rudy Gobert would be capable of on defense. With Trey Burke and Alec Burks for scoring off the bench, that’s a scary squad for years to come.

There has been no indication that Matthews intends to leave Portland, but if mutual interest is not solidified with acceptable contract terms by mid-July, believe me, he will have other options. A departure is the furthest thing from Portland’s desire as they attempt to keep the team together.

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