The first three days of the Portland Trail Blazers free agency have been rather quiet. With just three veteran minimum signings, albeit smart ones, the rumor mill has been the only place to see what other potential bigger moves could be made. The latest Portland Trail Blazers rumors are interesting and have Ben Simmons saying that he doesn’t want to be traded to Portland, and a potential Pascal Siakam trade not being of interest to Neil Olshey.
According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, Siakam had been discussed as a potential trade target for the Blazers, but Neil Olshey wasn’t keen on making this deal. Considering Siakam’s age, skillset and championship pedigree, this seems strange. Maybe the Toronto Raptors were asking for too much, but if Siakam was available in a deal where Olshey didn’t have to give up much, and the Blazers turned it down, it would be a disappointing development.
Siakam, as detailed in this article could be the perfect fit for this Blazers team.
The second rumor involved Simmons and his priority of destinations in a potential trade. Identifying places like Portland or the Sacramento Kings, Simmons said he didn’t want to go to a bad situation, and would much prefer the Los Angeles teams. It’s no surprise that he doesn’t want to be in a bigger market, but concerning that star players view the Blazers this way.
Daryl Morey is still pushing hard for a trade where he can move Simmons and get maximum value back in a package, but it looks like that destination won’t be Portland. It looks like Olshey doesn’t want to move McCollum in a trade, which is disappointing. Maybe Chauncey Billups improves the team, but unfortunately, this team is probably a first-round and out in the playoffs meaning that Damian Lillard leaves.