In the aftermath of transferring to the Dallas Mavericks, shooting guard Wesley Matthews looks back at the Portland Trail Blazers.
Wesley Matthews was acquired by the Portland Trail Blazers from the Utah Jazz by virtue of a $ 34 million offer sheet during the 2010 season. The Jazz did not match, and the Blazers got their man.
Matthews delivered during his time with the Blazers, justifying their acquisition. He accumulated an impressive stat line of 16.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists. Matthews also earned a reputation as a decent perimeter defender and shot close to 40% of his three point shots.
When Matthews entered unrestricted free agency, it was hard to assess his market value because he was recovering from a major injury. This is an athlete's worst nightmare-to be injured in a contract year when you have performed consistently in the past. To complicate matters, the Blazers were up in arms as their franchise player, LaMarcus Aldridge, was also walking into uncertainty.
The result of these complications? The Blazers never made any offer to Matthews-something the player confirmed through Oregon Live.
"I was pissed off," Matthews expressed. "I felt disrespected...."
It was also explained in the article that the only time the Blazers would proceed with a formal offer for Matthews is when LaMarcus Aldridge re-signs with them-and that didn't happen.
Despite the injury, Matthews was still a prime prospect. It would've helped if he was able to show signs of full recovery but he had to enter free agency full of question marks. Fortunately, a team like the Dallas Mavericks chose to take a risk and the future looked promising for Matthews again.
The Mavericks' future as a team though was placed in Jeopardy when the DeAndre Jordan reneged on his commitment and returned to the LA Clippers, but it works out for Matthews. ESPN details:
"The contract Matthews signed is worth $70 million over four years, a source said. He would have made $57 million over four years if Jordan also signed with Dallas."
While Wesley Matthews might be pissed off and will probably play for a struggling team, an added $ 13 million might be enough to appease him.