Portland Trail Blazers: Early look at 10 targets in 2020 Free Agency

Big Game Hunting

Fun fact: No NBA team since 2007 has made the NBA Finals without three or more all-stars on the roster. The last time that happened, a 22-year-old LeBron James and ‘Big Z’ Zydrunas Ilgauskas triumphantly led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the finals with high hopes… where they were promptly swept by the San Antonio Spurs in dominant fashion.

The Portland Trail Blazers do not want to be the 2007 Cavaliers. Besides, the league has only become more competitive in every year since. If the Blazers want to show they’re serious about capitalizing on their title window, making a big splash in free agency could be the key they have been looking for. Insert:

DeMar DeRozan is one of those players that defies all modern analytics. He is a shooting guard that doesn’t shoot threes. One of the NBA’s few elite players that hasn’t embraced modern basketball’s transition towards a philosophy of only shooting three-pointers and lay-ups at the rim. In that sense, the Portland Trail Blazers would be a perfect fit for DeRozan.

Although DeRozan insists on utilizing the mid-range game, his efficiency certainly doesn’t hurt for it. DeRozan attempted the second most two-point shots in the league last year, yet still managed finish with the eighth highest field goal percentage of all guards. His elite level of efficiency is all the more impressive considering he scaled back to only taking 45 three-point attempts last season, thus allowing opposing defenses to sag off him and prevent drives to the rim.

DeRozan coupled next to Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum would easily rate out as the best offensive tandem in the entire league. Rim protector Jusuf Nurkic and defensively minded role players like Moe Harkless would provide enough breathing room for the trio to light up other teams. If DeRozan opts out of his player option to pursue one last big contract, the Portland Trail Blazers should get on the line immediately.