The NBA’s unofficial trade season is underway, with that key Dec. 15 date behind us. That’s when most players who signed 2024 Free Agency deals become eligible for trades—and when rumors start flying ahead of the 2025 NBA Trade Deadline.
At this point, you can expect the Portland Trail Blazers to be a source of deadline buzz. They have eyes for May’s draft lottery instead of April’s play-in tournament, meaning some of their best players could be valuable to hopeful contenders like the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, and Golden State Warriors.
Overall, Portland has the pieces to help teams complete their puzzles, so rival GMs will be calling.
The question is: Will they be calling with their best offers?
Setting Expectations
Don’t expect a Trail Blazers firesale at the Feb. 6 deadline. This isn’t a team built to win right now, and it doesn’t suddenly have to blow up the depth chart since 2024-25 is about asset collection and assessing the future.
If there isn’t a deal by February that points toward long-term improvement, general manager Joe Cronin will stay patient. He did that last season despite players like Anfernee Simons, Jerami Grant, and Malcolm Brogdon being in rumors; he held strong and avoided rushing through the process.
Regardless, it’s likely the Blazers will make some sort of move before the deadline, even if it’s not part of a firesale. They have enough players who fall outside the core’s collective career arc but would boost playoff rotations, and those players should attract at least one good (or desperate) offer over the next seven weeks.
4. Matisse Thybulle
Kicking off our list of most likely players dealt is Matisse Thybulle. He’s someone you’ll see pop up in rumors, and with the right offer, Cronin wouldn’t hesitate to swing a deal.
The problem, and why he’s not higher, is that his trade value depends entirely on whether he sees the floor ahead of the deadline. Thybulle’s last game was on Feb. 29, 2023, and contenders aren’t in the business of trading for guys to show up and look pretty.
The irony, of course, is that Portland may value Thybulle the player more than Thybulle the asset more so when he’s not playing. On paper, he’s a swingman who doesn’t need touches, can hit the three, and makes a real impact with his perimeter defense. But teams haven’t seen him play in some time. There’s no way to showcase him, and unfortunately, incoming offers will reflect that.
3. Robert Williams
Speaking of a market-value enigma, I introduce to you Robert Williams III.
Time Lord’s talent and production make him worth a first-round pick for just about any contender. He’s efficient on both ends of the floor, and he’s been a stellar backup this season in Portland.
Of course, being arguably the best rim protector and defender on the market only boosts your value so much when injuries otherwise define your career.
The question here isn’t whether or not teams will call about RW; it’s how low the Blazers are willing to sell to help clear the way for Donovan Clingan.
Personally, I believe Williams will be easier to move than Deandre Ayton this season, which is why RWIII makes this list. But the injury history is a real factor.
2. Anfernee Simons
If you’ve clicked or tapped into a hypothetical trade involving Anfernee Simons over the last three seasons, you already know his top landing spot.
The Orlando Magic have needed a guard like Ant for a while. They’ve also had young defensive assets to send Portland’s way if that’s what general manager Joe Cronin wants, and there’s the “homecoming” angle with Simons having grown up and played ball in the Orlando area.
There are more teams, though, that could get in on a Simons bidding war. The San Antonio Spurs, for instance, need a long-term point guard to help Victor Wembanyama.
One problem with trading Simons is that he’s likely to command a bigger contract once his current deal is up, and GMs know it. His current deal is quite team-friendly. But it’s questionable how team-friendly his next one will be, and you need a team that sees Simons as an immediate franchise cornerstone and is willing to commit.
There are also on-court inconsistencies keeping him outside the top-tier trade target category across the league. Ant isn’t a reliable defender against attack-first guards. And while he’s capable of catching fire and going for 26, 27 … 30 any night, that almost adds to any disappointment you feel about his 17.2 points-per-game average this season.
Of course, this is a lot of Debbie Downer talk for someone as good as Simons. He’s very good at scoring and a solid creator off the dribble. He’s always fun to watch, too, which helps when times are down for the team. And he’s just 25 years old.
There are questions about whether he’s in his prime or approaching his prime, meaning we can’t tell how high his ceiling actually goes. But for the right team, Simons will be a stud. And that’s why he looks like Portland’s No. 2 asset.
1. Jerami Grant
As good as Jerami Grant is, he hasn’t had a chance to win between his stints with the Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons, and the Trail Blazers. Now, though, feels like the time for him to show what he can offer a winning team.
The biggest obstacle will be Grant’s contract. His salary (currently just south of $30 million) becomes less daunting when the league’s new TV money kicks in. But assuming he opts into his player option for the 2027-28 season ($36.4M), he won’t be off a team’s books until 2029, and teams may value him more when we’re closer to that end date.
On the court, Grant has proved his value as a forward who can spread the floor, get a bucket, and keep a defense honest. A team like the Lakers would love Grant. So would the Mavs. The Warriors and Phoenix Suns have their sights set on Jimmy Butler, but they’d love Grant, too, if they miss out on Jimmy.
I expect someone to make an offer that aligns with Cronin’s long-term vision because, ultimately, Grant is worth it.
JG has been a positive part of the Blazers’ re-tooling over the years. But he’s likeliest to be in a new jersey once the trade deadline passes in February.
Notable Omissions
Deandre Ayton
I think it’s possible Deandre Ayton will be traded by February. Possible … but not likely enough to officially include in our list.
Ayton’s body of work doesn’t give teams confidence in his contract. He’s putting up numbers on a losing team—one trying to showcase him—but $34 million this season is tough to swallow.
It might be easier for teams to take on Ayton next year when his $35.5 million is on an expiring deal ahead of 2026 unrestricted free agency. Look for this time next season to be when teams start calling with real offers on the big man.
Scoot Henderson
Scoot is probably “untouchable” as far as Cronin is concerned. For now.
Scoot is a No. 3 pick and someone the NBA G League did a masterful job hyping up as the next Derrick Rose, Ja Morant, or whoever your mind would conjure. So far, though, we’re not close to any of that. His advanced stats paint him as one of the worst rotation players in the league, and fans are split on whether he’s a future star with a bad coach or an actual bust.
Put more simply, any offer Cronin receives will likely be too low and too early for any real consideration. It will likely be a full year, if not longer before cutting bait on Scoot becomes a real topic.
Shaedon Sharpe
Shaedon Sharpe’s potential is too high to consider him a real asset, even though he may be Portland’s top “asset” when looking at return value. It’s easier to just call him untouchable and assume Cronin hangs up the phone if he hears his name.
Toumani Camara
Toumani Camara is in a similar boat. Teams would love to snatch him away from Portland. In that sense, he’s a top asset. But he’s also nowhere near Cronin’s trade block with the future front and focus.
Dalano Banton
The Blazers have gotten such a great return on last season’s Dalano Banton trade that I don’t think selling high is worth wasting a young talent, even if he brought back future assets. He’s not untouchable if his non-guaranteed contract somehow pushes another deal over the edge, but he himself is a future asset. It’s unlikely we’ll see any buzz around his name.
Deni Avdija
Deni Avdija has felt like a breath of fresh air lately for the Trail Blazers. In a way, his open-court explosions are what we thought we’d get more of from Scoot. His shooting stroke looks sweet for the most part, and that contract is as team-friendly as it gets with a declining salary year over year.
Of course, Avdija is the exact type of player with the exact type of contract who could eventually find himself in a franchise-defining trade to land Portland a piece for its final rebuild stage. Clearly, though, we’re not there at this moment. And flipping him so quickly would be ruffling feathers for feather-ruffling sakes.
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