Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
The Portland Trail Blazers are continuing to add depth to their roster, and reports are that they have landed a dependable small forward in Dorell Wright, via the free agency avenue.
Wright has nine years of NBA experience and at 6-foot-9, is still an excellent small forward for the Blazers to have coming off the bench.
In a bench role with the Philadelphia 76ers last season, Wright averaged 9.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.
The Trail Blazers were caught off guard all season with injuries and didn’t have a deep enough bench to compensate for it. The result was a 13-game losing streak to end the season and finish out of the NBA playoffs for the second straight year.
During the offseason, the Trail Blazers have been putting in plenty of time with the college draft and free agent signings to improve the depth factor so they won’t get caught offhanded again. Wright ensures that the Blazers should have a capable second unit ready to deliver at any time. With 48 minute NBA games, obviously most players don’t even log 40 minutes. Wright is capable not just of putting in the minutes but getting some quality work inside. His veteran experience will also come in handy for a Blazer team that still has a lot of first-and second-year players.
The Blazers will also be adding veteran point guard Earl Watson to the roster. Watson was with the Utah Jazz for three seasons and last year averaged 2.0 points, 4.0 assists and 17.3 minutes per game. He’s obviously an excellent ball handler to have for the second unit.
