The Portland Trail Blazers entered 2024-25 with similar expectations to last year's 21-win team. The beginning of the season gave us every indication that they were headed in that direction as they entered 2025 with an 11-21 record. Shortly after, the Blazers became one of the most surprising teams in the league, even placing themselves in the conversation for a play-in spot for a long stretch.
Several factors contributed to Portland turning a corner. Their schedule softened with more games against Eastern Conference teams, while Deni Avdija, Scoot Henderson, Toumani Camara, and Shaedon Sharpe each took individual steps forward.
More significantly, though, they improved defensively as a unit. The Blazers ranked in the top ten in defensive efficiency since the new year, a rating that has only continued to improve as the season wore on.
Even more encouraging is how they've leaned on their young core for their end-of-season stretch. Portland overcame injuries to key veterans, and while unfortunate, those setbacks came with a silver lining as they allowed the Blazers to showcase their young talent more.
Now that Portland's youth has officially proven they are ready for an increased role, the pressure is on newly extended general manager Joe Cronin to enter the challenging next phase of the Blazers' rebuild by clearing the runway.
Anfernee Simons
One of the reasons this season should be considered an overall success is that Henderson and Sharpe have taken significant steps forward, which fans were hoping to see. Both guards have been inconsistent at times, but you could make a case that some of that has been a result of the Blazers not making them as much of a priority as former top-ten picks on a rebuilding team should be.
The good news, however, is that they have shown enough flashes to be considered Portland's future backcourt duo. Henderson has improved his shooting, defense, and decision-making, while Sharpe finished the season on the verge of a breakout with multiple 30-plus point performances.
The Blazers will look to carry that momentum of their up-and-coming guards into 2025-26, but their progress will be hindered as long as Anfernee Simons is still part of the equation.
Another reason to move on from Simons is his contract situation. His deal is set to expire after next year, and the Blazers will be forced to decide whether to retain someone who doesn't impact winning as much as his numbers would suggest.
They'd be better off moving Simons, who should have trade value as someone who was deemed a top-ten trade asset last summer.
Deandre Ayton
Another player with a contract set to expire after next season is Deandre Ayton, who is owed $35.6 million next season as Portland's highest-paid player.
They don't necessarily need to move Ayton, given that Donovan Clingan still needs to ramp up his conditioning, averaging less than 20 minutes per contest as a rookie. But if the Blazers are set on Clingan being their center of the future, then they'd be better off moving Ayton rather than letting him walk for nothing.
This summer presents a golden opportunity for Rip City to trade Ayton because teams will have much more roster and financial flexibility in the offseason, making taking on his massive contract more realistic. They also likely won't be deterred by it as much since he only has one year remaining.
Ayton has flaws as a modern-day center who lacks rim protection, can't effectively shoot the three, and has an inconsistent motor. But there's a reason he's a former No. 1 overall pick, and he's still an above-average center in the league when not accounting for contracts. That could be enticing enough for a team willing to take him in his final year, either as a one-year rental or in an attempt to sign him to a more reasonable long-term deal.
The Blazers should be aggressively listening to offers for Ayton, as it makes much more sense to move forward with Clingan, given his age, contract, and presence as an elite defensive anchor.
Jerami Grant
Jerami Grant is the most crucial player for the Blazers to move this summer.
At the deadline, Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report gave the likelihood of Portland moving Grant a seven out of ten, the highest amongst any player he was asked to rank (Grant, Simons, Williams, and Ayton). Highkin wrote, "probably the one they're most motivated to trade, but they'll have to decide if the market is worth it."
Cronin didn't deem the market worth it, but he's still the player Portland should be most motivated to trade this offseason. Every other veteran has a deal that expires after this next season. That means it doesn't drastically alter their rebuilding plans if they can't move them this summer.
Sure, player development will be hindered for another season, but in the worst-case scenario, Portland can let those players walk. The only exception is Grant, who has a $36.4 million player option in 2027-28.
Cronin received praise for his trades to acquire Avdija and Camara, but he also needs criticism for the moves that he didn't make. He had an unrealistic asking price of two first-round picks last summer for Grant, and now, it's questionable whether or not he's even a neutral asset.
Portland must move Grant by almost any means necessary, even if it means attaching some draft capital along with the deal, to give themselves more flexibility. With Grant out of the picture due to injury, we've seen the Blazers experience end-of-season success with their young core, which needs to become their long-term lineup.
By keeping Grant around, the Blazers risk missing out on a star to help put them over the top. There's a lot of excitement about Portland's upcoming offseason, and rightfully so, given their unfinished roster. But the Blazers need to be building their roster with the goal of adding a big-name free agent in 2026. They are currently only on the books for $76.4 million in 2026-27. They could cut that nearly in half by moving Grant and limiting it to just Avdija's team-friendly deal and rookie contracts.
Matisse Thybulle
Matisse Thybulle could have been a coveted trade deadline target had it not been for injuries that forced him to miss the majority of the season. Playoff teams will regret not acquiring Thybulle's services, as his defensive playmaking is precisely what they need to help contain opposing superstars throughout each round.
Fortunately for Thybulle and the Blazers, he's back to his impactful ways, finishing the season averaging 6.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 2.2 steals in 15 games. The steals stand out as Thybulle is one of the league's premier perimeter defenders, but he's also developed into a valuable 3-and-D role player, shooting 35 percent from deep last year and 42 percent this season.
Thybulle has a $11.6 million player option for next season. Given that he's proven to be healthy and still in his prime at 28 years old, it could make sense for him to decline that option -- whether it's to land with a contender, find an increased role, secure a more long-term deal, or a combination of the three.
Jabari Walker
The Blazers will have to make a difficult decision surrounding Jabari Walker. One could make a case to keep him around, as he's just 22 years old and plays forward, one of Portland's biggest positions of need.
Walker shot 39 percent from beyond the arc, a significant improvement for someone who was under 30 percent in his previous two seasons. Keeping him around would be betting on his long-term potential as a 3-and-D piece. He also fits in well with Cronin's vision as a physical 6-foot-9 forward who provides energy and rebounding.
However, the Blazers' roster will look significantly different from the one that eventually makes the playoffs. Walker would be a solid role player for a contender that needs cheap depth, but Portland is far from that being their situation. With not many contracts set to expire this summer, they need to let certain young players walk despite fitting the timeline.
Walker has improved his shot, but it unfortunately remains unreliable. That, combined with his lack of upside as a shot creator, makes it much easier to let him walk in free agency to clear room for the incoming draft class.
Dalano Banton
It isn't easy to let Walker walk because of his unselfish play as someone who can contribute without needing the ball. Candidly, Dalano Banton is the opposite of that.
It's not a coincidence that Banton received an increased role towards the end of the season when the Blazers were already eliminated from play-in contention and wanted to improve their draft lottery odds.
D.B. Hooper has been fun to watch for stretches and can even be valuable as a sparkplug off the bench. But the Blazers already have several one-dimensional players on their roster who are score-first. Their newfound identity consists of more versatile players like Avdija and Camara, who contribute in multiple aspects. Keeping Banton around isn't a step in the right direction.
He finished the season shooting under 40 percent from the field and under 33 percent from beyond the arc -- both below league average at the guard position. Combine that with his lack of playmaking and frustrating tunnel vision, and it's easy to see why the Blazers shouldn't retain Banton.
Wild card: Robert Williams III
The Blazers had suitors for Robert Williams III at the trade deadline -- who was viewed as one of the most coveted centers on the market -- but Portland values Williams highly. After all, Cronin made it a point of emphasis to land Williams in part of the blockbuster Damian Lillard deal.
When healthy, Williams is a great complementary piece alongside Clingan, providing Portland with another option for a more versatile center who can better defend out on the perimeter. That will be especially important with Ayton likely on the way out, whether via trade or with his expiring contract.
Leading up to the deadline, Highkin gave the possibility of Williams being dealt a four out of ten, saying that "they really don't want to move him unless someone blows them away with an offer."
There's nothing to suggest that the Blazers' stance on Williams has changed since the deadline, and it's increasingly unlikely that someone will blow them away with an offer now that he's unfortunately had yet another injury.
That makes Williams a wild card that could either be moved this offseason or kept around as a veteran to spell Clingan.
Portland is trending toward a starting lineup of Henderson, Sharpe, Camara, Avdija, and Clingan. Moving these veterans and letting go of these expiring contracts will finally clear the path to prioritize this lineup -- something that Blazers fans have been eager to see.
Cronin faces a challenging task this summer as the Blazers attempt to avoid landing in long-term purgatory. That could mean taking a minor step backward next season to make room for youth or accelerating the timeline by making an aggresive move to bring in a more established star.
Regardless of which route Cronin decides to take, these six-and-a-half players are strong trade candidates for what projects to be a busy and exciting offseason for Portland.