While a handful of general managers watch their respective teams jockey for this year’s Larry O’Brien Trophy, Portland GM Joe Cronin is sifting through the Trail Blazers trade options heading into an offseason of reckoning for the franchise.
With significant changes needing to be made to the roster and a lack of salary cap flexibility with which to do it, upgrades will be need to be made either through that avenue or through the draft, or perhaps more likely, both.
As the saying goes, though, it takes two to tango. Portland will need to find a team willing to part with a player, or players, that move the needle significantly enough to turn the team into potential title contenders. To do that, Cronin will need to give up something of equally significant worth.
What does he have in the cupboard?
Ranking the 5 most valuable Trail Blazers trade assets
5. Jerami Grant
If a Grant trade becomes a possibility, things have gone far, far south in terms of Portland becoming a championship-caliber team.
Grant would have to be part of a sign-and-trade, meaning the Blazers re-sign the unrestricted free agent to a long-term deal only to turn around and send him packing.
The 29-year-old would hold significant value, though, especially if he re-ups at a decent dollar amount. His time in Portland has shown that he can thrive as a second or third offensive option while using his length and athleticism to remain a solid defender.
Grant had his best and most efficient offensive season as a pro last year, scoring better than 20 points a night while shooting a career-high 40.1 percent from three, proving his value as a legitimate three-and-D wing.
He would fetch a solid return from a potential contender looking to find its final piece or two, with possibilities being teams such as the Miami Heat or Dallas Mavericks.
4. Anfernee Simons
Simons took a major leap in his fifth NBA campaign. He averaged career highs in scoring (21.1 ppg), assists (4.1), field-goal percentage (44.7), and free-throw percentage (89.4) while taking more shots than he ever has as a pro.
He became more dynamic on increased opportunities but also improved his efficiency, a significant jump for a player who’s only 23 years old.
With five years of NBA experience under his belt, there’s plenty of reason to believe he’ll continue to become a better scorer but also improve other areas of his game, playmaking and defense being the two most important.
Simons may be a better trade asset than the casual fan realizes. In addition to the improvements he’s already made to his game and the real potential for more, a lot of teams around the league could use a player of his archetype as a scoring combo guard with an expanding skill set.
There’s no reason to doubt that, as he continues to improve his playmaking ability, Simons could eventually vacillate between a legitimate point guard and a pure scoring guard.
3. 2023 NBA Draft lottery pick
When it comes to trades of any significance, there’s nothing more valuable in today’s NBA than first-round picks.
The Brooklyn Nets got four, potentially five with a swap, from the Phoenix Suns for Kevin Durant. Brooklyn gave up four and four possible swaps to acquire James Harden from the Houston Rockets. Heck, the Utah Jazz got four and a swap from the Minnesota Timberwolves – plus Walker Kessler, the Wolves’ actual first-round selection in 2022 – for Rudy Gobert.
Unless they work out a deal with the Chicago Bulls to release the protections on their first-round pick that run through 2028, the Blazers are limited in terms of future firsts to put in a deal. They do, however, have this year’s lottery pick that’s guaranteed to land in the top nine and has a 10.5 percent chance at landing at No. 1.
That would certainly be a highly valued asset around the league.
2. Shaedon Sharpe
A reasonable argument can be made that Sharpe is Portland’s No. 1 most valuable asset. As a 19-year-old with clear superstar potential, teams may demand Sharpe be the centerpiece of a trade that would bring anything of significance back to the Blazers to pair with Lillard.
The rookie spent much of last season showing flashes of his otherworldly athleticism – a highlight dunk here, an out-of-nowhere block there.
But when he received significant playing time in the final stretch of the 2022-23 campaign, Sharpe showed flashes of much, much more than just athleticism.
He led the Blazers in scoring over the last 10 games of the regular season, averaging 23.7 points a night. He showed that his range extends far beyond the rim as he shot 36 percent from three on more than 8 attempts per game. He added 6 rebounds and 4 assists to those tallies.
Yes, it was in garbage time of the regular season, but both the stats and the eye test showed a skilled and explosive offensive player with the potential to be an above average defender in a 19-year-old who hadn’t played organized basketball since high school.
1. Damian Lillard
Unless a shocking development arises during the 2023 offseason, Dame will be the most sought-after superstar in the NBA – assuming he’s made available.
Despite hitting age 32, Lillard had the most productive offensive season of his hall-of-fame career. He finished third in the league in scoring at 32.2 ppg and hit 37 percent of his 11.3 3-point attempts a night.
He also averaged more than 7 assists despite playing with a rag-tag group of players on a young, injury-riddled roster.
The most significant question facing the Blazers franchise is should Lillard stay or should he go? Should Portland call it a day on the Dame era and send arguably the greatest player in the team’s history elsewhere or cash in some, or all, of the aforementioned assets to acquire a superstar to help him make a push for a championship?
If Lillard lets Cronin know he’s ready to move on, he instantly becomes the most valuable trade asset in the entire NBA.