The Portland Trail Blazers and general manager Joe Cronin have done a great job so far this offseason of getting a clearer sense of direction in their rebuild by adding 20-year-old Donovan Clingan and 23-year-old Deni Avdija. Clingan looks like a steal, falling to pick No. 7 in the 2024 NBA Draft. He has showcased his rim protection, rebounding, and underrated passing so far in the Summer League, all of which made him a coveted draft prospect and someone the Blazers were targeting.
The trade for Avdija was also great and solved multiple problems that the Blazers needed to address this offseason. They got under the luxury tax by trading away Malcolm Brogdon’s $22.5 million expiring contract; this also cleared their guard logjam, giving up-and-coming guards Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe more opportunity for minutes and an increased role in the offense.
Avdija is an excellent addition to Rip City’s young core. As a 6-foot-9 wing player with playmaking ability, he has a versatile skill set to complement their backcourt. He also shot 37.4 percent from three last season with the Wizards. The future is looking brighter in Portland, but there are still a few moves left that they should consider before the 2024-25 NBA season tips off.
1. Trading Away Jerami Grant
Portland has several talented young players who are all 25 years or younger. The projected starting lineup for next season fits this criteria besides Jerami Grant. After trading away the 31-year-old Brogdon, Grant should be the next established veteran on the list to be moved. He’s also the only 30-year-old on their roster, further solidifying how he doesn’t fit into their rebuilding timeline.
You could make a case for Grant being the Blazers’ best player. Last season, he averaged 21 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game on 45/40/82 shooting splits. But that’s another reason Portland should trade him. They can get valuable assets in return for Grant, with teams like the Lakers, who are looking to add a tertiary piece alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, seeming interested. According to Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report, Cronin reportedly is seeking two first-round picks in exchange for Grant as of now; this seems like a steep asking price, but the Blazers do have some leverage because the market for acquiring talent seems to be dwindling both in trade and free agency.
Portland still owes Grant over $100 million from his contract signed last offseason. The Blazers don’t want to put themselves in a position where they have to pay a 33-year-old Grant $36.4 million when he has his player option for the 2027-28 season. They should trade him this summer while he is at peak value.
2. Trading Away Matisse Thybulle
Similarly to how trading away Brogdon gives Henderson, Sharpe, and, to a lesser extent, Dalano Banton increased roles, moving Thybulle would open up significant minutes for the Blazers’ young forwards. Jabari Walker is one of the most underrated players on the Blazers’ roster and is still only 21. It would benefit him to have an increased role and gain more valuable experience. Toumani Camara had a great rookie season and is a valuable 3-and-D player. He shot 33.7 percent from beyond the arc, which should only continue to increase as he gets more reps. He’d be the ideal replacement for Thybulle’s role as a lockdown defender with his 7-foot wingspan and ability to slow down the opposing team’s best player.
Thybulle is on an ideal contract, as he’s owed $11 million this season with a player option for next season. That makes him an even more attractive trade asset for contending teams looking to add a defensive wing-stopper. The Blazers could potentially net a first-round pick by trading Thybulle, a two-time All-Defensive Second Team member. They should strongly consider making a trade like that to gain additional draft capital.
Thybulle is an excellent role piece if you want to make a deep playoff push, but the Blazers are seemingly years away from needing a player like that. Add in the fact that there’s a possibility that Thybulle walks at the end of the 2024-25 season with his player option, and it makes sense for Cronin to explore trade possibilities for the Australian wing.
3. Trading For Brandon Ingram
On the surface, this move seems contradictory. If the Blazers are embracing a rebuild and trading away Grant and Thybulle, why would they pursue a star like Brandon Ingram? For one, Ingram is 26, four years younger than Grant. He’s also arguably a better overall player than Grant, given Ingram’s playmaking and rebounding. In what was a relatively down year for Ingram last season with the Pelicans, he averaged 20.8 points, 5.7 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game on 49/36/80 shooting splits – nearly three more assists per game than Grant.
The Blazers need more versatility on their roster. They currently have too many one-dimensional players with redundant skill sets. Trading for Avdija was a significant step in the right direction, but Ingram is another do-it-all forward who would significantly help bolster their roster. Between him and Avdija, the Blazers would have two lengthy forwards who can play multiple positions and orchestrate the offense when needed. They don’t currently have that element with Grant, and it would take a lot of pressure off of Henderson and their young backcourt to be relied on as the sole offensive initiators.
Another thing that the Blazers’ lineup is missing is a clearcut go-to player and established star. Henderson and Sharpe are up-and-coming players who could potentially fill this role as they continue to develop, but Ingram would solve this problem immediately.
The Blazers are a solid fit as a trade partner with the Pelicans. Portland currently has four centers on their roster: Deandre Ayton, Clingan, Robert Williams III, and Duop Reath. Meanwhile, New Orleans desperately needs a center after losing double-double machine Jonas Valanciunas in a surprising sign-and-trade with the Wizards. They are projected to start Baylor rookie Yves Missi, who is a promising prospect but shouldn’t be considered a starter for a team with playoff aspirations in the loaded Western Conference.
Packaging one or both of Ayton or Williams would be a beneficial starting point for both teams in trade talks for Ingram. A potential trade for Ingram certainly wouldn’t be without risk – he’s on an expiring $36 million deal and is slated to be an unrestricted free agent after this upcoming season.
The Blazers would have to sell Ingram on getting his star spotlight in Portland, and there’s certainly a chance he still walks even if he has a productive season as the go-to player. But his expiring deal would also be baked into the Pelicans’ asking price, meaning the Blazers could get him at a good value because New Orleans doesn’t want him to walk for nothing, either. Landing someone like Ingram for a relative discount may be the risk they have to take.
