Portland Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin will have his hands full this month as he faces the challenging task of figuring out how to navigate their rebuild leading up to the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
Portland has now missed the postseason for four consecutive seasons but should be able to fight for a play-in spot as they currently sit 9th in the Western Conference with a 16-20 record. It's going to be a balancing act for an up-and-coming roster that doesn't want to waste another season but also strategically continues to prioritize their long-term outlook.
Whether it's by February's deadline or this upcoming offseason, these Blazers players stand out as ones that should no longer be considered part of their rebuilding plans. All three players are on expiring deals, forcing Portland to make a decision one way or another. Some have increased their trade value through strong play and could be moved before the deadline, while others have struggled to make an impact despite the Blazers' injury-plagued start, increasing the likelihood of an offseason departure.
1. Robert Williams III
After two wasted seasons in Portland due to injury, Robert Williams III is finally looking like the Boston Celtics version of the player the Blazers made a key part of their initial Jrue Holiday trade. His 23 games played have already exceeded each of the last two seasons, which is perfect timing considering he's now on an expiring $13.3 million deal.
The Blazers are set to build around the frontcourt duo of recent first-round picks Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen, with the former taking significant strides this season. Williams is more expendable and, as a result, the Blazers are expected to be more willing to part ways with him than they were at last season's trade deadline, when they ultimately stood pat.
2. Duop Reath
Williams is relatively healthy, but he's still playing limited minutes and sitting out back-to-backs. Meanwhile, rookie Yang Hansen remains a major project. The Blazers' messy frontcourt situation gave Duop Reath a golden opportunity to crack the rotation, building off a surprisingly strong rookie season where he emerged as a reliable stretch five. However, he's regressed this season, failing to earn the trust of interim head coach Tiago Splitter.
With Reath's contract set to expire and his upside seemingly capped at 29 years old, it makes sense for Portland to move on from the NBA success story to clear room for their offseason additions.
3. Rayan Rupert
Rayan Rupert is another expiring contract who has failed to make a significant impact on an injured Blazers team. They could decide to continue investing in his upside. He's a 21-year-old guard who has untapped two-way potential given his unique skillset and positional size at 6-foot-7.
But unfortunately, he's struggled to showcase flashes of that potential in meaningful regular-season games. Now in year 3, Rupert's production has declined in Portland, as he's averaging 2.2 points and 1.6 rebounds on inefficient 36/29/50 shooting splits. If he wasn't able to crack the rotation this season, I'm not sure he ever will.
At some point, Rupert is going to be in the league long enough that he goes from being considered a project to a bust who wasn't able to put it all together. The Blazers may be better off pulling the plug on this experiment as soon as this summer. His lack of reliable floor spacing is particularly concerning for a team that needs to drastically upgrade its roster in that area.