With all the summer's purported "disappointments" on the Free Agent market, it'd becoming clear that the "Big Splash" the front office was hoping for is not going to happen. Barring a sweatheart deal with a team looking to offload salary, we may be better off at this point merely shoring up our bench with a veteran roleplayer or two.

What kind of player would best fill this role for us? For me, it comes down to 4 attributes:

• Able to hit an open jumpshot, preferably from 3-point range.
• Solid defensively.
• Won't mind sitting on the bench for long stretches if our younger players are doing well, or create locker-room tension.
• Won't break the bank, leaving us with some roster flexibility at trade deadline time.

Is it just me, or is this not a perfect description of what Ime Udoka brings to the table? Sure, he's not a game-changing type of player. He's not going to light up your stat sheet every night. At the same time, he's a hard worker, stingy on perimeter D, can stroke the three from the corner when he's open, and could probably be had for about half the available room the Blazers have under the cap. Say a 3-year, $15 million deal, with a team option for a fourth year.

I don't know how much bias I have about Ime. Certainly, I was a big fan of him when he was here. At the same time, his last two seasons in SA have been less productive than his year in Portland. Would bringing Ime back be a smart move from a basketball perspective? Or is this just wishful thinking on my part due to my love of Ime?