Brandon Roy Agrees To Sign With The Team That Drafted Him

Looking back on it, the ’06 draft was pretty hit or miss.  You’ve got quality players such as Andrea Bargnani, LaMarcus Aldridge, Rudy Gay, and Brandon Roy in the top 10, but you’ll also find a variety of busts that range from Adam Morrison to Patrick O’Bryant.  The class of ’06 has produced just three All-Stars thus far, and, be it by fantastic scouting or good fortune, two of them ended up in Portland via trade.  First, the Blazers sent second-overall pick Tyrus Thomas to Chicago in exchange for LaMarcus Aldridge, and then they were able to flip Randy Foye for Brandon Roy.  The Blazers indeed made out like bandits, leaving the Bulls and Wolves with very little to show for their selections just a few years down the line.

Unfortunately, the Blazers are now left with just half of what was once their prized duo.  What happened to Brandon Roy—a degenerative knee condition—is an awfully sad story, but a productive comeback with the team that originally selected him could make for happier ending.  Today, Roy agreed verbally to sign with Minnesota, presumably because the collective bargaining agreement wouldn’t let him return to the Portland team which was forced to cut him loose using the amnesty clause.  Via the USA Today

Brandon Roy has agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to sources close to the situation. Roy can officially sign with the Timberwolves on July 11, when the league’s moratorium ends.

The 27-year-old met with Timberwolves brass earlier this week and the two sides reached an agreement on Thursday afternoon, according to sources.

Prior to agreeing to terms with Minnesota, Roy received interest from the Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers, according to sources.

Sources close to the situation say that Roy narrowed down his list to Minnesota and Golden State before finally deciding to join the Timberwolves. Roy has a great relationship with Timberwolves assistant coach Billy Bayno. The two worked together while Roy was with the Portland Trail Blazers. Timberwolves head coach Rick Adelman and general manager David Kahn entered this offseason looking to add a veteran shooting guard to the roster, and Roy fits the mold.

Roy retired last December due to knee issues, but spent the past several months training vigorously for a comeback. Sources close to Roy say he’s feeling fine and capable of being a significant contributor for a team, likely playing close to 20 minutes per night.

During his last season in Portland, Roy averaged 12.2 points, 2.7 assists and 2.6 rebounds in 47 games. Over the course of his five-year career, Roy has averaged 19.0 points, 4.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds. Roy is a three-time All-Star.

First of all, Brandon Roy was really f@cking good.  This was a 22-point scorer who shot 48% from the floor at the two guard position.  I recall a younger, relevant Ron Artest once claiming that Roy was the league’s toughest player to guard, and he didn’t even sound the least bit crazy saying it.  This was a star in the making, and it’s a damn shame that he wasn’t able to shine for longer than a couple of seasons.

Now, what can the current version of Brandon Roy (who most recently averaged 12 points on 40%) bring to the table for Minnesota?  The T-Wolves, who ranked 23rd in the league in three-point shooting during ’11/12, probably hope he can add a little range on a consistent basis.  I figure they’re also hoping for better than 6 points per game, which is the amount Wesley Johnson struggled to produce last season.

Obviously, there’s no doubt in my mind that Brandon Roy can help the Timberwolves in a variety of areas… provided that he can move.  Roy seemed to draw a fair bit of interest from a bunch of different teams, so there are people out there who must feel that he’s capable of playing those 20 minutes per game he reportedly hopes to play.  I, however, will remain cautiously optimistic.  I’m rooting for the guy, but it’s a cold world.  We’ll have to wait and see how the story ends, but for now we can simply be happy that Roy is doing well enough to give it a shot.

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