The 5 Best Value Signings in NBA Free Agency

Ed Davis

Davis has been a sample-size beast for much of his career, putting up great rate stats in reserve minutes. In Portland, where he'll be one of the players tasked with filling the void left by the Blazers' departed front court, he should get a chance to show that he can maintain that production with a bigger role.

Having bounced from Toronto to Memphis to Los Angeles, Davis has never averaged more than the 24.6 minutes per game he played as a rookie. But if you extrapolate his numbers to his per-36 averages, Davis is a 12-and-10 guy. Last year in LA, he had his best season as a pro, cleaning the offensive and defensive glass at impressive rates (13.3 offensive rebounding percentage, 23.1 on defense). His blocks per game (1.2) and block percentage (4.3 percent) were also both career highs. Davis was solid in protecting the rim, allowing opponents to finish 53.9 percent of their shots there, per NBA.com's player tracking, but that was in the context of the Lakers' putrid defense.

Davis will have to keep up his offensive efficiency in Portland. Last year, his field goal percentage was a sky-high 60.1 percent, including 63.7 percent inside five feet, where he took about 85 percent of his shots. Davis isn't going to step outside like Aldridge, but he provides a reliable dump-off target for Damian Lillard, the recipient of a massive extension that kicks in next year. Davis' offensive game is probably a bit too limited to be a starter in what was a free-flowing system in Portland, but he should provide some strong minutes off the bench at the least.