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Did the Trail Blazers Lose Out This Summer?

By Steven Dewald

Mar 12, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Chandler Parsons (25) speaks with an official during the second half against the Indiana Pacers at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 12, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Chandler Parsons (25) speaks with an official during the second half against the Indiana Pacers at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Trail Blazers had a tough time nailing down their top targets once again this offseason, but does it mean that their summer was unsuccessful?

The Trail Blazers have had their struggles in free agency since landing Brian Grant in 1997, and the summer of 2016 proved to be no different. Neil Olshey assembled an elite squad (Paul Allen, Terry Stotts, and Damian Lillard) to help recruit Chandler Parsons on the opening day of free agency, but they eventually lost out to the Grizzlies. After watching the center market dry up, Portland was able to land Festus Ezeli on a heavily discounted deal. Classifying the Trail Blazers’ offseason as a failure is dependent on which way you choose to view it.

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Evan Turner‘s 70 million dollar price tag is rough on the eyes, but as we mentioned above – Portland was prepared to offer Parson nearly twenty million dollars more over the same duration. Paying a flawed player like Turner (lack of outside shooting) is undoubtably a risk, but when you factor in the discount and his clean bill of health the risk becomes smaller. Missing out on Parsons still hurts when you look at the efforts that Olshey made to get him, but getting Turner on a four year deal has the chance to be the better move over time.

The Trail Blazers wanted to make a splash this summer by bringing in a rim protector, but it is unclear how real of a shot they had at Hassan Whiteside or Dwight Howard. Whiteside only sat down with teams that operated in states that have a favorable tax code and Howard elected to take his talents to his hometown.

Apr 27, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) and center Dwight Howard (12) between plays during the third quarter in game five of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 27, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) and center Dwight Howard (12) between plays during the third quarter in game five of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

Even if we entertain the idea that the Trail Blazers had a legitimate shot at either center – adding Ezeli could be viewed as the safer move. Howard and Whiteside both carry a tremendous amount of baggage with them, while Ezeli comes from the Warriors with an untarnished reputation. His injury risk is significantly reduced by the size of his contract. When you look at Portland’s pursuit of a rim protector – you can’t help but think that landing Ezeli is on par with the other options.

The other thing that gets pushed aside by detractors is the fact that Olshey was able to reach an agreement with all three of the Trail Blazers’ restricted free agents (RFA’s). Bringing in Parsons and an expensive option at center would have likely pushed at least two of Portland’s RFA’s out the door. Allen Crabbe, Maurice Harkless, and Meyers Leonard will remain in Portland for the coming years. Terry Stotts now has one of the deepest rosters in the NBA at his disposal.

Next: Projecting Portland's Win Total in 2016-17

Is it troubling that the Trail Blazers missed out on their first round of targets? Absolutely. Is it a reason to bury your head in the sand? No. It will now be up to Turner and Ezeli to put a true positive spin on the moves that were made this summer.