Portland Trail Blazers: 5 backup big men to sign in Free Agency

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Portland Trail Blazers back up big man option four – Gorgui Dieng

Big man Gorgui Dieng is a free agent after finishing a four-year deal this season that he signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2016.

The Wolves drafted the six-foot-ten Dieng in 2013, and then he was given an extension by the disastrous Tom Thibodeau front office. Strangely, after extending him, Thibodeau benched him and signed a new power forward.

Dieng moved in and out of the Wolves rotation after having his role cut, before a trade to the Grizzlies saw him freed from the dysfunction of Minnesota.

Dieng is just a backup big these days at 32, but he has a wide range of skills that can help an NBA team.

With a monstrous seven-foot-four wingspan and great hands, Dieng is a strong rim protector who can get deflections and steals on the defensive end. He doesn’t have great feet in the open court, making him just a five these days, but his rim protection is strong enough that he can be a plus defensively.

On offense, Dieng brings the ability to stretch the floor while also being a nice passer. He has finished in the top half of the league for assist percentage in all but one of his NBA seasons, while also shooting an excellent 84 of 222 for 37.8 percent over the last two seasons on three-pointers.

Dieng is probably a minimum candidate, but he is back up big who could add value to this team.