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."
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On July 30, he will fly to Los Angeles for a checkup with Dr. Richard Ferkel. After that, Matthews comes back to Portland to see former Blazers teammate Meyers Leonard.
"The Big Dummy is getting married," Matthews said.
He says he doesn't know how it will feel when he touches down in the city where he played so hard and was embraced even harder. But when the NBA schedule comes out in August, rest assured he will circle the games against Portland.
Four times, he points out, the Blazers will play Dallas. Four times, he vows, a tenacious competitor awaits.
"And now, I have a complete franchise backing me," Matthews says. "Imagine what kind of dog I will be now."
