Dissecting what next year’s Trail Blazers will look like when healthy
The unfortunate story of this year’s Portland Trail Blazers team has been injuries and cap space issues, so just what might they look like next season?
The story of the season thus far has been “What if?” for the Portland Trail Blazers. What if Jusuf Nurkic had been available from the start? What if Zach Collins and Rodney Hood didn’t have their seasons cut much too short? What if Portland didn’t give out those bad contracts in 2016? What if?
Next year provides our first opportunity to witness a Trail Blazers roster that’s rid itself of these lingering issues. Portland will be in the perfect situation next season with Nurkic on a team-friendly deal, most the team on rookie-scale deals, and Dame and CJ’s huge extensions not yet ready to kick in.
So now one final question rises, just what might this team look like next year as they prepare for title contention? I crunched the numbers and broke down the details to help determine the answer.
Portland’s 2020 Payroll
Active Roster
- Damian Lillard $31,626,953
- CJ McCollum $29,354,152
- Jusuf Nurkic $12,000,000
- Rodney Hood $6,003,900 (player option)
- Zach Collins $5,406,255
- 2020 NBA Draft pick $3,458,400 (No. 14 overall)
- Anfernee Simons $2,252,040
- Nassir Little $2,210,640
- Mario Hezonja $1,923,136 (player option)
- Gary Trent Jr. $1,663,861
Dead Cap
- Andrew Nicholson $2,844,429
- Anderson Varejao $1,913,245
- Trevor Ariza $1,800,000 (guaranteed)
Considering all this, we can assume the Trail Blazers will enter this summer’s free agency period with approximately $12.5 million in cap space to spend, assuming:
- Hood and Hezonja pick up their player options
- Portland cuts Ariza to save $11 million in unguaranteed money
- Portland’s draft pick lands around the No. 14 position
Projected 2020 Depth Chart
- PG: Damian Lillard, Anfernee Simons
- SG: CJ McCollum, Gary Trent Jr.
- SF: Rodney Hood, Nassir Little
- PF: Zach Collins, Mario Hezonja
- C: Jusuf Nurkic
Offseason Plan
As you can see, the starting lineup entering next season has no gaping holes. We know Lillard, McCollum, and Nurkic are going to deliver. Collins was lauded by many media personalities to be the next big breakout, while Hood was shooting an unreal 49.3 percent from 3-point range before going down after 21 games this season.
That starting five is very solid and could go to war with any team in the league. But the real issue is Portland’s bench, and it’s going to take some savvy moves this summer to help improve the NBA’s worst bench statistically speaking.
There are some great pieces here to begin with, as Simons, Little, and Trent Jr. make for a formidable young core. The Trail Blazers will have access to approximately $12.5 million in cap space, a middling first-round pick, and the Mid-Level Exception to round out the second unit.
This means Portland has the financial means to potentially bring back Hassan Whiteside (on a discount) or Carmelo Anthony if they so choose. Olshey could also elect to aggressively pursue mid-level free agents like Paul Millsap or Marc Gasol while other suitors are obsessed with the chase for Anthony Davis.
Next. Analyzing Portland's remaining schedule and playoff hopes. dark
There’s a variety of routes Portland could opt to take here to address their needs like a bolstered and healthy frontcourt, a playmaking point guard, and legitimate wing depth. Despite the fact the Trail Blazers have thoroughly earned a reputation as consistent competitors in the league, I truly believe we haven’t seen their best form yet.