Should the Blazers Target Garrett Temple in 2019 NBA Free Agency?

The Portland Trail Blazers suffered losses in 2018 NBA Free Agency with Ed Davis, Shabazz Napier and (likely) Pat Connaughton while adding Seth Curry and Nik Stauskas. Portland also added Anfernee Simons and Gary Trent Jr. in the NBA Draft. However, Dan Favale of Bleacher Report still sees a need for wing depth, and he predicts Garrett Temple as the team’s possible best target in 2019 free agency:

One of these offseasons, before this millennia is out, the Portland Trail Blazers will have cap space.

Next summer isn’t it.

On the bright side, they won’t have to do much to slink under the luxury tax. Unless they want to keep Al-Farouq Aminu. And Seth Curry. In which case, yeah, they’ll have some shuffling to do.

Probing Garrett Temple’s price point is a good hedge against the futures of both Curry and Aminu. He has the size, at 6’6”, and strength to harass some of the wing assignments Aminu would draw. His handles and vision are passable enough to spell Damian Lillard for short stints as a half-court triggerman; he is averaging almost as many assists per 36 minutes (3.1) as Curry (3.4) for his career.

Temple was recently traded from the Sacramento Kings to the Memphis Grizzlies; he’s in the last year of his three-year contract.

The forward has averaged 5.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists on 40.5 percent shooting from the field and 35.7 percent from three-point land in his eight-year career.