The Portland Trail Blazers have been relatively quiet ever since landing Ja Morant from the Memphis Grizzlies, with their subsequent moves all coming on the margins. They don't necessarily need to make another splash as a team that can continue to patiently build off the first playoff appearance of their rebuild with a young core that only continues to get better.
However, with that Morant trade came a roster logjam that eventually needs to be sorted out sooner or later. While the Blazers don't need to force the issue, they should still be exploring trade options at wing/forward to find better roster balance heading into 2026-27.
1. P.J. Washington, Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks roster construction is the polar opposite of the Blazers. They are a team with a ton of wings/forwards in need of more point guard and center depth.
Hopefully, Dallas is intrigued by the idea of pairing one of Scoot Henderson or Shaedon Sharpe alongside Cooper Flagg. That could give Portland a viable pathway to addressing its lack of forward depth by stealing the underrated P.J. Washington.
2. Trey Murphy III, New Orleans Pelicans
Many wondered if Trey Murphy III would be the next trade domino to fall after the LeBron James free agency dust settled. Well, here we are.
The Blazers expressed interest in Murphy at February's trade deadline, though that connection has since died down, especially after their surprising Morant deal this offseason. But given that they acquired Morant for essentially nothing, wouldn't it make sense to spend assets elsewhere to continue upgrading this roster?
Murphy checks every box for the type of trade target they should be pursuing, so hopefully New Orleans is open to shipping its rising star at a reasonable price.
3. Peyton Watson, Denver Nuggets
Portland should try to steal Peyton Watson from the Nuggets via a sign-and-trade. ESPN's Shams Charania previously reported that Denver has lowered its asking price to the equivalent of two first-round picks, which seems a reasonable price that Portland can surely pay to add to its young core on the wing.
4. Michael Porter Jr., Brooklyn Nets
While Brooklyn doesn't appear to be actively shopping Michael Porter Jr., they should at least be open to listening to offers given where they are in their rebuild. The scoring, shot-creation, and forward depth would all be much-needed additions for the Blazers.
Compared to the rest of the options here, they may have to pay a premium for MPJ, so this one depends on asking price. But for Portland, it's at least seeing what that entails.
5. Max Strus, Cleveland Cavaliers
Max Strus may be the most realistic and easily attainable trade target on this list. Cleveland could decide to trade him to proactively avoid the second apron next season.
If they aren't planning on re-signing him after the year, they might as well get assets rather than letting him walk for nothing. That gives Portland a potential buy-low opportunity to add more reliable floor spacing coming off the bench.
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