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Portland Trail Blazers: 4 seasoned veterans to consider in the 2020 free agency

By Marlow Ferguson Jr.

Sep 17, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jae Crowder (99) reacts after being fouled as he made a three point basket against the Boston Celtics during the third quarter in game two of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2020 NBA Playoffs at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 17, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jae Crowder (99) reacts after being fouled as he made a three point basket against the Boston Celtics during the third quarter in game two of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2020 NBA Playoffs at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Portland Trail Blazers
(Jae Crowder, Miami Heat) Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Having players who can immediately fit into a system may never be more important than in this free agency. Here are four veterans the Portland Trail Blazers could keep an eye out for.

Despite what figures to be a bit of a salary cap drop, the Portland Trail Blazers and the rest of the NBA have to be bracing themselves for one of the wildest offseasons in league history,

We’ve hit on it briefly, but NBA teams will be expected to find a way to put together an NBA Draft, the moratorium likely right after the Draft, free agency, and a training camp all within the next eight weeks.

For that reason, one has to wonder just how important things like veteran presence, championship pedigree, and an immediate impact to a team will be. Given Portland’s cap situation, this fits right up their alley — lower-budget veterans who prioritize winning a bit more than lucrative contracts and individual attention.

The late-January trade that gifted the Portland Trail Blazers a revived Trevor Ariza highlighted that importance more than perhaps anything. Even players with their best years in the rearview can be impact players, simply because they’ve seen so many schemes before, and are familiar with their role.

So, that will be the premise of today’s article. A look at some of the affordable “old heads” around the Association that could be of use for the Portland Trail Blazers in 2020-21.

Let’s hope dad doesn’t see this: for the sake of this article, you don’t truly qualify as “old” until you’ve surpassed age 30. Here are four 30-and-older targets to keep eyes peeled for.