The Portland Trail Blazers certainly grabbed their share of the spotlight this summer, although not necessarily for the best reasons. Much of the buzz surrounding the team stemmed from Damian Lillard’s trade request after spending his entire 11-year NBA career up to this point in Portland.
Portland made a few blunders this offseason, some of which went under the radar because the main offseason focus was the Lillard news. These decisions could negatively affect the Blazers’ long-term outlook as they begin rebuilding following the seemingly inevitable Lillard trade.
But there have been other big missteps in this up-and-down offseason.
Worst offseason move No. 4: Losing Drew Eubanks
Drew Eubanks signed a two-year, $5 million deal with the Phoenix Suns this offseason. He was an underrated free-agency signing for the Suns.
In the 2021 NBA Finals, Phoenix’s lack of front-court depth was apparent and significantly affected their series loss to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. Eubanks should help fix that, but now the need for a backup rim protector is evident for the Blazers.
Last season, Eubanks averaged 6.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.3 blocks in only 20.3 minutes per game. Eubanks was an excellent fit for the Blazers as a backup center with great intangibles. He was an unselfish two-way player who contributed to winning in aspects outside of scoring, including his hustle, rebounding, passing, and rim protection.
Portland’s inability to retain Eubanks in free agency on what seems to be a team-friendly contract for the Suns comes in at No. 4 for the Blazers’ worst offseason moves. Because of his age at 26 and relatively cheap contract, Eubanks would have been an ideal complementary piece for the Blazers’ retool.
Another factor that makes it worse for Blazers fans is that Eubanks is a hometown favorite who grew up in Troutdale and played his college ball at Oregon State University.