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Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers have a new reinforcement coming, as they will reportedly give free agent Rondae Hollis-Jefferson a shot, per Sham Charania of The Athletic.
The Portland Trail Blazers are planning to sign forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Hollis-Jefferson spent training camp with the Timberwolves.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 2, 2021
The 26-year-old forward was initially expected to crack the Minnesota Timberwolves rotation after joining the team for training camp at the beginning of the year. Hollis-Jefferson, however, was surprisingly waived despite playing well for the Wolves in the preseason.
He was on the market for a while, but he will now get another opportunity to prove he belongs in the big league. Further details about his contract with the Blazers are unclear at the moment. However, it will likely be a short one akin to what the New Orleans Pelicans recently offered Isaiah Thomas.
Before the Blazers, RHJ was picked 23rd by the Brooklyn Nets in the 2015 Draft where he spent his first four seasons in the league. Pundits were high about his prowess on the defensive end and were expecting his offense to catch up eventually. But that was not the case, as the left-handed forward struggled to put the ball in the hoop. He could have been the perfect 3-and-D guy if only he developed a consistent jumper.
The Nets did not bring him back after his contract expired in 2019 and was picked up by the Toronto Raptors. He averaged 7.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 60 games for Toronto last season.
The Blazers, on the other hand, could certainly use his lockdown capabilities in their bid for a strong playoff push. Damian Lillard and Co., of course, already have enough firepower on offense, and having a defensive specialist on the wings like RHJ should come in handy.
