The Portland Trail Blazers need to add Paul Millsap to their frontcourt rotation
Paul Millsap is the requisite role player, meaning that he’ll literally fill any role his team needs. He’s worn many hats throughout his NBA career: supporting piece, top-option, low-post threat, 3-and-D forward, and bench player.
He’s the perfect example of a jack-of-all-trades player in the best possible version. Bringing him on the Blazers would mean adding an elite defender, a floor-spacing big, and a great playmaker with size.
Millsap would be the perfect backup big for Portland as he can guard three different positions and Blazers fans won’t have to worry if Jusuf Nurkic is in foul trouble.
He would give the Blazers the option to play a five-out offense when needed. He can act as an offensive hub for the bench unit, capable of running plays from the high or low-post. He’s a renowned rebounding talent, earning a draft selection for his work on the boards at Louisiana Tech University. He can fill in as a starter at either big spot if needed and can even play small forward in extreme situations.
Bottom line, Millsap can do whatever is needed of him. That’s exactly the type of player that the Blazers are sorely lacking.
The question is whether or not they’ll be able to afford him. The veteran big will be entering his 16th season next year and will turn 37 in February. There’s no doubt that a part of him is starving for the chance to compete for a title. That being said, he’s still more than productive enough to earn greater than a veteran’s minimum salary.
If the Blazers could convince him to come to Portland for their mid-level exception, they shouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger. Millsap is certainly a ring-chaser that could take a team into the next tier.