2. Marquese Chriss
As badly as the Portland Trail Blazers need another floor general, they just as desperately need a third center. The Blazers current rotation at the five consists of Jusuf Nurkic and Cody Zeller, two extremely injury prone bigs.
One of them is bound to miss time at some point next season, which would leave Portland with just one rim protector. If they’re both shelved at the same time, the Blazers interior defense will be completely eradicated.
Adding Marquese Chriss to the bench would give the Blazers much needed insurance in the case that one of their two current centers comes down with an injury.
Coming off a major ailment himself though, there’s no guarantee that Chriss will provide the depth the Blazers need. Last season, he fractured his right fibula with the Golden State Warriors. Before he was sidelined, he displayed potential as an athletic rim-runner and shot blocker.
If Portland can get him to return to form and possibly even grow with the team, they’ll have a great added piece that could bring a new dimension to both their offense and defense. But if Chriss reinjures his leg or his rehabilitation stalls, it’ll be a waste of a roster space.
Depending on what they see from him in training camp, the Blazers could easily give the spot to DSJ if Chriss displays any hesitation or regression in his extended tryout.