The Portland Trail Blazers' 2024-25 season proved that their young core is too talented to bottom out for a top pick. Although they will very likely miss out on a generational prospect in Cooper Flagg, it's an exciting position to be in as Portland can finally take their roster in the other direction. But for the Blazers to become legitimate playoff contenders out west, they'll need to add a few more key pieces.
They have a golden opportunity to do so via free agency by utilizing the biannual ($5.1 million) or non-tax midlevel ($14.1 million) exceptions. While it won't be enough to land a star, several under-the-radar difference-makers set to hit the market could be perfect targets for Portland.
1. Bruce Brown Jr.
Bruce Brown's play has declined since he was integral to the Denver Nuggets' 2023 championship run. But that could be a blessing in disguise, as he now may be in the Blazers' price range.
The Blazers need more depth, and Brown's versatility provides that across multip. That will be especially important since their roster is largely unfinished, and having a Swiss Army knife in Brown allows them more flexibility to fill the void of future departed pieces.
Adding Deni Avdija was a tremendous step in the right direction, but Portland still has too many one-dimensional score-first players, including Anfernee Simons, Jerami Grant, and Deandre Ayton. Brown is an ideal two-way role player who can contribute without needing the ball.
2. Precious Achiuwa
The Blazers have a crowded frontcourt. But Donovan Clingan may be the only one of their four centers that remain on their team long-term, with Deandre Ayton, Robert Williams III, and Duop Reath potentially being moved as soon as this summer.
They need to add a non-traditional big man to complement Clingan, and the 6-foot-8 Precious Achiuwa could be a viable, relatively cheap solution. He would fit in nicely with the Blazers' rebuilding timeline at 25 years old and provide the Blazers with another dimension as a big who is more switchable out on the perimeter.
The Blazers recently extended Chauncey Billups and Joe Cronin, committing to their vision of being a gritty, defensive-minded team reminiscent of Billups' old Pistons team. Achiuwa would help bolster that identity.
3. Nickeil Alexander-Walker
The Blazers had Nickeil Alexander-Walker on their roster for a brief stint but traded him a day later to the Utah Jazz for Joe Ingles, Elijah Hughes, and a second-round pick. That was a questionable decision at the time and looks even worse in retrospect, as NAW has now emerged as a key contributor for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
He's a reliable 3-and-D guard, connecting on 38.1 percent of his three-point attempts this season. That would immediately address the Blazers' most significant free agency need.
Like Brown, Alexander-Walker is a low-usage role player who can fit in seamlessly with Portland's young core without hindering their development. They don't quite know what they have yet in their backcourt in terms of Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe, and it would be great to add both a depth piece and an insurance policy in NAW.