Portland Trail Blazers: 3 best players to sign to the final two roster spots

Option three – Jonathon Simmons

Ex-San Antonio Spur and Orlando Magic wing Jonathon Simmons could be an option as a backup for this Blazers team. The six-foot-six Simmons famously paid his way for a G-League trial where he made the roster then signed a full NBA deal with the Spurs.

After performing credibly in the all-important wing position, he was then given a three-year partially guaranteed deal by the Orlando Magic in 2017/18. Simmons had a career year, averaging 13.9 points a game on 46.5 percent shooting from the field.

The 2018/19 season was a bit tougher as he was squeezed for minutes as the Magic looked to make the playoffs and maximize their young wings. He was then traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, where he was used sparingly because of injuries and competition for minutes. After the 2019 postseason, he was dumped by the 76ers to the Washington Wizards, who preceded to wave him.

Simmons has good size and length with a six-foot-seven wingspan. He is a competent NBA defender who also has decent playmaking ability in the pick and roll and also the open court.

He is a below league average NBA three-point shooter but takes enough attempts that defenses would respect him. His primary skills that could help the Blazers would be passing, attacking the rim, and defense.

The Blazers aren’t looking for starters or even strong role players. They just need guys that can play spot minutes in specific rotations or individual matchups. The above prospects might not be inspiring, but they can fill the gap that was left by Ariza and Swanigan.