The Portland Trail Blazers have missed out on the first wave of free agency, with their only addition being an under-the-radar signing of former Oklahoma City Thunder seven-footer Branden Carlson. They still have a massive void to fill at the forward position after packaging Jerami Grant and Kris Murray in the surprising blockbuster trade to acquire Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant.
Unfortunately, their free agency options continue to dwindle. One option includes the return of unrestricted free agent Matisse Thybulle, who currently ranks No. 15 on the top remaining free agents by Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus.
Portland has two spots remaining on its final 15-man roster, so regardless of what ultimately happens with Thybulle, another guard/forward they should pursue is former NBA champion Bruce Brown Jr. Pincus has Brown ranked as the No. 9 remaining target, though the ones coming before him aren't quite as realistic options for the Blazers.
Blazers should pivot to Bruce Brown Jr. in free agency
Pincus highlights Brown's fit with the Nuggets that contributed to their 2023 championship, adding that a reunion in Denver isn't necessarily off the table:
"Fit in the NBA can be everything, and Brown fits in Denver. He helped the team win a championship in 2022-23, shooting the second-best three-point percentage in his career (38.5). Returning as a free agent on a minimum contract, Brown is at his best at 38.1 percent from deep. Not that he takes too many attempts. He knows his role is to play defense, feed off Jokić, and do whatever is needed to get his squad a win. While he's only on a one-year deal, Brown may return to Denver, given his success with the Nuggets."
This should only be more of a reason for Portland to act with an increased sense of urgency, something they have surprisingly failed to do up until this point in free agency.
They entered the offseason with three clear areas to address: shooting, playmaking, and forward depth. While the Morant deal gives them a backcourt logjam full of playmakers for a Blazers team that led the league in turnovers per game this past season, they've also worsened their shooting woes and lack of forward depth in the process.
We assumed there would be a follow-up move of some sort to better balance out this lopsided roster, though that hasn't been the case as we are already into July. Of the remaining free agency options, Brown is the ideal blend of a realistic yet intriguing fit.
He's not necessarily known to be a knockdown shooter, yet connected on an impressive 38.5 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc this past season with Denver. Most importantly, Brown's championship experience and well-rounded skill set as a Swiss Army Knife on the perimeter would help fill multiple holes in this unfinished Blazers roster.
Assuming he doesn't ultimately return to the Mile High City, Brown is a wing Portland should now turn its attention to in free agency.
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