Who should the Blazers sign with its two-way contracts?

KJ McDaniels

Prior to the Summer League championship game versus the Los Angeles Lakers, KJ McDaniels played 14.1 minutes per game. In that time, he averaged 5.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 0.8 blocks.

Then, McDaniels turned his entire Summer League around by showing out in the most important matchup. Against the Lakers, he posted 17 points, 7 rebounds and 1 block on 8/14 shooting from the field. This energizing performance on both ends of the floor earned him the Finals MVP award.

With the final Las Vegas game in the books, McDaniels walked away averaging 6.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 0.4 assists, and 0.9 blocks in 14.9 minutes per contest.

The stats may not be eye-catching, but how he played in that championship game is exactly what the Blazers might need down the road. Besides aggressive defense, McDaniels spent a majority of his 20 minutes above the rim.

He threw down several authoritative slams, including an alley-oop from Baldwin in which he hung in the air for longer than gravity usually permits.

With a shortage of players who hunt for poster-dunk attempts, McDaniels could spark runs for a Blazers team likely fighting for playoff positioning near the end of the season. He did so in the Summer League championship; his 20 minutes on the court resulted in a box plus/minus of +16, second best on the team.

In addition to his high-flying play style, McDaniels also has experience in the NBA. He suited up for 148 games throughout his three-year career and averaged 5.3 points, 2.2 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.5 blocks.

With an extremely young frontcourt (Nurkic – 23, Collins – 20, Swanigan – 21), the Blazers could use extra experience.