The Portland Trail Blazers' 2024-25 season will be largely defined by their trade deadline moves. The trade deadline is on Feb. 6, but the start of trade season is just around the corner, as players signed in free agency become eligible to be traded beginning Dec. 15.
It's arguably one of Portland's most important trade deadline seasons in recent franchise history. Two seasons into their rebuild, they still have to carefully navigate crucial roster decisions, including which players to keep as part of their core going forward.
Some players are easy to decide one way or another. For instance, Jerami Grant is the oldest Blazers player at 30 years old and clearly doesn't fit their timeline. On the other end, Portland heavily invested draft capital and assets to build around Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, Deni Avdija, and Donovan Clingan (although Toumani Camara has also played his way into their young core).
The more difficult decisions GM Joe Cronin has to make lie in their rebuilding "tweeners" -- players who are young enough to fit into their timeline but old enough to be considered veterans. The Blazers have multiple key players who fit this category, including Anfernee Simons (25 years old), Dalano Banton (25), Deandre Ayton (26), Matisse Thybulle (27), Robert Williams III (27), and Duop Reath (28).
NBA insiders have been discussing almost every Blazers veteran in trade talks lately. Most recently, it was ESPN's Shams Charania, who named Grant, Simons, and Williams [subscription required], saying, "Multiple teams have begun expressing interest in a group of Portland's veterans -- Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons, and Robert Williams III -- as the Trail Blazers make decisions on the roster, sources said."
The Blazers should trade these 4 veterans
No. 1: Anfernee Simons
You could make a compelling case to keep Anfernee Simons, even more so than the other Blazers' veterans. On one hand, Simons is only 25 and fits the Blazers' needs as a guard who can provide a little playmaking and a lot of shooting. It also may not be an ideal time to trade Simons in terms of player stock, as he's having a down year, only averaging 16.5 points while shooting 32.3 percent from three.
But Simons is a clunky fit as a combo guard stuck between Scoot and Sharpe. It's already apparent that the Blazers can't win with Simons as their point guard; they are asking him to do too many things outside of his strengths, causing Portland to rank horribly in several important playmaking categories.
No. 2: Jerami Grant
Due to his age, contract, and the fact that he's taking away significant minutes from up-and-coming players as well as a starting role for Avdija, it's clear to see why Grant should be one of the top priorities to trade. The more complicated part lies in finding a trade partner.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype recently covered the challenge to move Grant, saying that "there's been a difference in opinion on his value." Scotto writes, "Portland has been unwilling to trade Grant without two first-round picks in return, while interested teams have only been willing to consider parting with one first-round pick. Some teams also view Grant's contract as a neutral asset."
It would make it much easier for Portland to move Grant if he were playing better, as arguably the Blazers' best player is only averaging 15.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists on 38/36/82 shooting splits.
No. 3: Deandre Ayton
The reasons for moving Ayton are similar to Grant -- he's overpaid and taking up a starting spot as well as key minutes for Portland's emerging centers, most notably Donovan Clingan. The difficulty surrounding trading Ayton also mirrors Grant since his contract will deter teams or make it much more complicated to get a deal done financially.
Portland's current four-game losing streak while Clingan, Williams, and Reath (for two games) have been out could also hinder Ayton's trade value as teams second-guess his impact, especially on the defensive end, with the Blazers surrendering at least 127 points in three of those four games.
No. 4: Duop Reath
It's somewhat surprising to see Duop Reath's name pop up in trade talks as he's averaged just 2.1 points this season, but his minimum contract makes him a valuable trade asset, especially with the new tax apron restrictions. Portland is reportedly already receiving calls on Reath, and there remains a possibility that they receive multiple second-round picks for someone Chauncey Billups plays 6.4 minutes.
3 Veterans Portland should hold on to
No. 1: Matisse Thybulle
Matisse Thybulle's name has yet to come up much in trade rumors. But expect that to pick up after he returns to game action and the trade deadline gets closer. Thybulle has a reasonable $11.6 million player option for next season, and Portland should consider keeping him around if they can't get a significant haul for their two-way wing.
The Blazers have a deep team, but wing depth remains a concern, and at 27, he could still be in his prime by the time the Blazers' young core develops. Should they decide to keep him around, Thybulle would also help bolster the Blazers' young defensive core between Toumani Camara, Donovan Clingan, Deni Avdija, and Robert Williams III.
No. 2: Robert Williams III
Williams has already shown up in numerous trade rumors and has reportedly drawn interest from several teams, including the Lakers. The trade interest makes sense as he's a great two-way player when he's healthy and looks fully recovered from his knee injury before suffering a concussion. He's also on an incredible deal, owed roughly $26 million for the next two seasons.
These are also arguments against trading Williams, as Portland could benefit from these things as well. It ultimately depends on how comfortable they are risking Williams' injury-proneness and what value they can get in a deal for Ayton.
No. 3: Dalano Banton
Dalano Banton has been one of the best stories for the Blazers this season. He went from coming over from the Celtics in a deal where the Blazers received $3 million to even acquire him to barely making the 2024-25 roster to now becoming a key contributor for Portland off the bench. One thing to consider is that because Portland (wisely) picked up Banton's team option, they will have to sign him to a much larger contract to retain him at the end of the season. Still, the Blazers should spend to keep Banton around, as he's a great player who provides their backcourt with another dimension with his length.
These deals would promote Henderson, Avdija, and Clingan to starting roles, three players they've invested heavily in in the past two years. They would retain their identity as a lengthy, defensive-minded team and give players like Rayan Rupert, Kris Murray, and Jabari Walker more opportunities to prove their fit in the rebuild going forward. Of course, this also depends on who the Blazers would get back, especially since, arguably, their three best players are being traded in this scenario. Cronin also has a history of making deals that include an up-and-coming player as part of the return.