Portland Trail Blazers: Wesley Matthews is the perfect free agent signing

The Portland Trail Blazers need more wings to shore up their porous defense. Why is ex-Blazers Wesley Matthews the perfect target in free agency?

The Portland Trail Blazers are looking for wing backup in free agency as they try to shore up their porous defense. Ex-Blazer Wesley Matthews has a player option for after signing a two-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, but he can decline that if he receives a better offer elsewhere.

Though Matthews will be 34 when the new NBA season commences, he has significant playoff experience, and his skill set is a perfect fit for the Blazers bench. Also, his second-year option is only at the veteran’s minimum. I feel that Matthews is better than the minimum and that he could command a deal around $4 million a year rather than the minimum at $2.5.

He could also reunite with his old Blazer teammates in CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard, after playing five seasons in Portland. Matthews best years of his career were in Rip City. He averaged 15 points a game on an elite 39.4 percent shooting from three-point range.

Matthews may have been the best wing defender in the Bucks shock loss to the Miami Heat. Though it didn’t make any difference in the series scoreline, he made Heat star Jimmy Butler work for everything. Matthews ,on a $2.5 million contract defending the team’s best player, is excellent value.

He also equaled a career-high in the playoffs, shooting 40 percent from three.

The Blazers have Gary Trent Jr. and Rodney Hood as their only real wings under contract for next season. They do have a partially guaranteed contract for Trevor Ariza on the books, but there is no certainty around his return next season or his contract getting fully guaranteed.

With Hood likely to slot in as the starting three next season, and Trent as the backup shooting guard, it would be a perfect fit for Matthews to slot in as the backup three off the bench. Matthews can play the two or the three, and because of his solid 220-pound frame and six-nine wingspan, he can defend the bigger forwards in this league.

His career three-point shooting rate of 38 percent is a strong mark, and his consistency over ten seasons in the league has him 25th all-time in three-pointers made in the regular season.

Previously, the Blazers have had great defenders like Al-Farouq Aminu and Maurice Harkless, but these were guys who were inferior three-point shooters. In the playoffs, when the defense gets better, and the game slows down, guys like Aminu and Harkless don’t get guarded as they aren’t plus shooters.

Matthews would still be respected by the defense because of his shooting, while he is a great defender on the other end.

Much of the free agency decisions will depend on the return of Carmelo Anthony and Ariza, but if one or both don’t come back next year, then the Blazers will need to bring in another small forward option.

A playoff experienced vet like Matthews could fit the bill perfectly.