2 Blazers who tanked their trade value in 2022-23
1. Nassir Little
Little is only 23 years old and a former first-round pick out of North Carolina. Last year, Little agreed to a four-year, $28 million contract extension. So far, Portland has to be somewhat disappointed with his performance.
A big reason Little hasn’t been able to showcase his talent is injury; this year, he only played 54 games. Unfortunately, that was the most he’s ever played in a season in his first four years in the NBA. Little was sidelined after he underwent abdominal surgery to repair a core muscle injury on his right side.
But when he was available, Little underperformed this season. The UNC product averaged 6.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, 0.9 assists, and 0.4 blocks in 18.1 minutes per game. Little has taken a step back compared to last year. In the 2021-22 season, he averaged 9.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 0.9 blocks in 25.9 minutes per game.
A significant reason for the decrease in minutes is the arrival of Jerami Grant, but regardless, Little has decreased his trade value this season. He’s undersized for a forward at 6-foot-5 and not consistent enough beyond the arc to be considered a coveted three-and-D-type player. In his career, Little has averaged 33.5 percent on his 3-point attempts.
Add in the fact that he has yet to play more than 54 games in a season, and teams may be less intrigued by him as a potential trade asset than they were just a year ago.