The Portland Trail Blazers have had an underwhelming free agency period. To date, their only signing has been former Thunder big man Branden Carlson.
With two roster spots left to fill and obvious areas of weakness to address, the clock is ticking for GM Joe Cronin to balance out this roster. In particular, the two areas of need are shooting and forward depth.
Portland's inaction has already caused them to miss out on several intriguing targets, but fortunately one remains: Rui Hachimura.
Blazers need to pursue Rui Hachimura in free agency
The downside is Hachimura is now one of the most coveted free agency targets remaining on the board, meaning Portland faces stiff competition. The Gonzaga product could even ultimately return to the Lakers, given their dire need for forward depth of their own after an eventful offseason. But even if he decides to take his talents elsewhere, the Blazers still need to act with more urgency.
Thursday, Jake Fischer reported on The Stein Line that the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves have also expressed interest in Hachimura:
"As the market has developed, sources say Hachimura's representation has now been in contact with Minnesota and Golden State as well. The Timberwolves have a well-chronicled need for a power forward after committing to trade away Randle and Naz Reid so they can pair LaMelo Ball with Anthony Edwards and Hachimura is said to stand as their current top choice at the position."
Portland still has the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($15 million) available. Of the remaining free agency pool, there's no better use for it than Hachimura.
He's developed into a lights-out shooter in Los Angeles, eclipsing 40 percent from beyond the arc for the third consecutive season. Shooting is a premium in the modern NBA, which is something you'd think Portland's analytically driven front office would make more of a priority.
After finishing the season ranked 28th in three-point efficiency, the Blazers surprisingly traded for Ja Morant, who shot an abysmal 23.5 percent from deep last season. In the process, they also sacrificed their forward depth, moving on from Jerami Grant and Kris Murray. Hachimura can solve both problems, making him the dream free agency target to fill the void left by the trade.
It remains to be seen whether Portland is even interested in taking that route, as they've been quiet regarding Hachimura -- a common theme for a team running out of options.
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