Rip City Project Roundtable: Evaluating the Portland Trail Blazers 2019 Offseason

Hectic free agency period

Instead of making big dollar purchases like in the offseason of 2016, the Blazers instead opted to take the less risky route of picking up low-cost role players to support the current core. With three new signees (Hezonja, Tolliver, Gasol) and one returning from last year (Hood), who was your favorite signing of the summer?

Brown: In my opinion the addition of Mario Hezonja was crucial for this Portland Trail Blazers team. The twenty-four year old Croatian forward allows the Blazers to have a lineup with some length at the small forward position. Hezonja is very athletic and has yet to play for a good system, so watch for him to make serious progressions this year.

Carroll: While I believe Rodney Hood is the most talented player we signed this summer (and props to him for taking a discount to return), my pick is going to go to Anthony Tolliver. Dating back to the 2013-24 season, Tolliver has shot on average 39.3 percent from beyond the arc on 3.8 attempts per game. Besides Dame and CJ, no returning player from last year’s roster shot over 34.5 percent from deep. Tolliver’s presence will go a long ways towards stretching the floor and creating opportunities for other players. Oh, and he’s a nice addition as a veteran mentor.

West: Getting Hood back at the tax payer mid-level was probably the best signing. If he plays like he did at the end of last season then it’s a really good deal for Portland, but it is a risk because Hood has been an up and down player throughout his career. I also don’t know how much the other signings will actually contribute. Tolliver will be a solid contributor if he can bounce back after last year, but he could just be on the downside of his career. Gasol will be third on the depth chart assuming Stotts does the right thing and uses Zach Collins as the backup center. Hezonja’s a poor man’s Nik Stauskas signing.