After signing a 4-year, $70 million contract with Dallas, Wesley Matthews is welcomed by the Mavericks as he enters American Airlines Center. He was drawn to Dallas because Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told him he wanted Matthews to be a cornerstone of the franchise moving forward. “That’s all I wanted,” Matthews said. “That’s all I wanted.” Photo courtesy of Wesley Matthews

Finding answers

As he navigates NBA free agency and his recovery, Wesley Matthews discovers more than just riches

When free agency arrived July 1, Wesley Matthews waited for an offer from the Trail Blazers.

He had hoped he could return to the city that had embraced him, to the team with players he considered brothers, to the franchise where he grew into one of the NBA's most well-rounded and respected shooting guards.

But in the end, after five seasons, the feeling was not mutual. He was greeted with silence. No phone call. No text messages. The Blazers never made an offer.

"I was pissed off," Matthews said. "I felt disrespected."

He believed he was a viable option for teams, even as he continued to rehabilitate a ruptured left Achilles tendon suffered in March. In the days leading up to free agency, Matthews' camp released video to ESPN showing him jogging in place, utilizing lateral movement and shooting jumpers. He was, he wanted the league to know, ahead of the eight-month recovery time estimated by doctors.

A story also leaked that Matthews expected negotiations to start at $15 million a season, or almost $8 million more than he made last year.

It was a ghastly number for the Blazers, even though they could technically afford him. Paul Allen is the richest owner in sports, but after a lost era during which he paid more than a combined $100 million to Brandon Roy and Greg Oden, only to see their knee injuries become chronic, Allen was wary of paying top dollar to a player coming off a serious injury.

The only chance the Blazers would pursue Matthews, top executive Neil Olshey later explained, was if free agent LaMarcus Aldridge chose to return, maintaining Portland as a playoff-caliber team. When Aldridge chose San Antonio, the Blazers decided to rebuild. Paying big money to a 29-year-old shooting guard coming off major surgery didn't make long-term sense.

"I was angry," Matthews said, "but I also realize that this is a business."

He figured there would be trying times, with harsh realities, after he suffered his injury during the third quarter of a March 5 game against Dallas. Achilles injuries not only test one's body, they challenge the mind.

He didn't expect one challenge to come from the team to which he gave so much of his heart, so much of his sweat. Portland's silence meant he was losing the greatest comfort of his career: a stable starting lineup, an adoring fan base and a rising profile.

But in his loss, he found something just as valuable.

He found answers to the questions nagging him since his Achilles popped that night in March:

Why?

Why now?

Why Wes?