NBA Insider Shams Charania has reported that the Portland Trail Blazers have signed two players out of the free-agent pool, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, and T.J. Leaf.
Before being drafted by the Blazers 23rd overall in the 2015 draft, Hollis-Jefferson played for the University of Arizona, averaging 10.2 points and 6.2 rebounds, named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team (2014), Pac-12 All-Defensive Team (2015), and All-Pac 12 (2015).
The Portland Trail Blazers are signing two players
On the evening of the draft, his draft rights were traded to the Brooklyn Nets, along with Steve Blake, in exchange for Mason Plumlee and the rights to Pat Connaughton (41st overall).
While with the Nets, the 26-year-old forward averaged 9.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game from 2015-2019.
In July, 2019, Hollis-Jefferson signed on as a free agent with Toronto, where he was a teammate of Norman Powell, appearing in 60 games, averaging 7.0 points and 4.7 rebounds in 60 games.
The Minnesota Timberwolves signed him to a training camp contract this past December. Although he scored 17 points in a preseason game against Memphis, Minnesota waived the forward before the season opener citing, “loaded at power forward, and it doesn’t make a ton of sense to have the veteran RHJ on the club picking up DNP-CDs all year,” NBC Sports Edge reported back in December.
The signing could help the Blazers, who have needed help in the frontcourt with Jusuf Nurkic recently returning from injury and Zach Collins still out from ankle surgery. The team currently ranks 29th out of 30th in defense.
The once but immediately traded Blazer tweeted Friday evening, “We Back to where it all started from!!!#RipCity ”
It has been said, the Plumlee trade to Denver in 2017, helped Portland land Nurkic, who was traded to the Blazers from the Nuggets.
In addition to the Hollis-Jefferson signing, the Blazers are signing power forward TJ Leaf to a two-way contract. The Oklahoma City Thunder waived the 6-10 Leaf before the start of the regular season. He has career averages of 3.3 points and 2.0 rebound in 3 seasons with the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers drafted him 18th overall in the 2017 draft.