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Portland Trail Blazers: Three ex-Blazers to bring back in 2021

By Stevie Cozens

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 18: Wesley Matthews #9 of the Milwaukee Bucks reacts after making a three point basket against the Orlando Magic in the first half during Game One in the first round of the NBA playoffs at The Field House at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 18, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kim Klement-Pool/Getty Images)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 18: Wesley Matthews #9 of the Milwaukee Bucks reacts after making a three point basket against the Orlando Magic in the first half during Game One in the first round of the NBA playoffs at The Field House at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 18, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kim Klement-Pool/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

Former Portland Trail Blazer two – Pat Connaughton

Pat Connaughton played for the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2019/20 season. Connaughton is a 27-year-old wing who played the first three years of his career for the Blazers. Connaughton was a slow burner on the Blazers after being drafted in the second round back in 2015.

After his rookie deal ended in 2018, the Blazers elected not to bring him back, and he signed a two-year minimum deal with the Bucks.

Connaughton is a bouncy wing, who can perform multiple roles, and has a great varied skill set for a role player.

He is six-foot-five and has great athleticism. He recorded the second-highest vertical jump in NBA combine history in 2015, a whopping 44 inches. He also has a big six-foot-nine wingspan.

Connaughton has improved his counting stats and minutes each year of his career until this one when COVID disrupted the season.

As an offensive player, he is a great finisher at the rim, and although it’s on a small sample, he gets to the rim at a strong rate. He is below league average from three, at just 33.7 percent per Cleaning the Glass, but his impressive passing makes up for that.

As a secondary playmaker, he has finished higher than the 84th percentile for his position in three out of the four years he has been in an NBA rotation. He can run secondary offense nicely off the bench.

Defensively, Connaughton is great in help situations or recovering in transition to block shots. In the last two years, he has finished in the 87th and 88th percentiles for block percentage.

Connaughton is still only 27, and he has played in the last two playoff runs for the Bucks. He may still have some improvement in his shot, and I could see a slight uptick in his minutes from the 20 per night he has averaged for the Bucks.

I feel that his market is around the minimum or slightly more, but as he is just 27, I would be comfortable offering him a little more or giving a multi-year deal. He could be a great back up two / three on the Blazers.