The Portland Trail Blazers are missing the rebuild step where they flip veterans for draft capital, worsening their record to improve their own pick in the process. Now, they have playoff aspirations with several veterans still on the roster. They may be more inclined to keep them around at this stage if it helps them achieve that shortsighted goal.
The Blazers blurred the lines between their two timelines. They are too good to tank but too weak to contend. The silver lining is that this group is full of elite role players like Camara, who are ready to complement any superstar they add. But adding a superstar is easier said than done. And the fact that Portland is a relatively small market makes it even harder to attract big-name players.
The Blazers are chasing the playoffs, not a championship
Oklahoma City was able to get past this obstacle by building through the draft. The Blazers have done this to a certain extent, but their picks have been good but not great (if they landed someone like Amen Thompson, it would be a different conversation). Even a solid team like the Memphis Grizzlies had no shot in the playoffs because their trio of top 50 players was outmatched.
Hopefully, the Blazers land a top-four pick in this upcoming lottery and change the trajectory of their rebuild. But they have just a 16.9 percent chance of that happening -- and it will only get slimmer in the coming seasons as they look to upgrade their roster.
There are certainly counterpoints to this approach. Picks (and the lottery) are never guaranteed to work out in your favor. Building a winning culture could pay off for their young core. And fans should be excited that the team is finally competitive after four long years of missing out on the playoffs.
GM Joe Cronin's trades have worked out so far, but their timing wasn't ideal, as the Blazers weren't necessarily ready to take that next step yet. Given where they are in their rebuild, the next logical step for Portland is acquiring a star talent to help them get to that level.
One thing Cronin deserves credit for is that he's extremely patient and meticulous when it comes to trades. The last thing Portland wants to do is pull the trigger in an aggresive move for a star that isn't an ideal fit, or worse, gutting their young core in the process. Teams like the Phoenix Suns and even the Milwaukee Bucks are prime examples of how quickly a contender's trajectory can collapse if you make the wrong move.
But who is that missing piece for the Blazers? One option is a buy-low gamble on someone like the injury-prone Zion Williamson or Lauri Markkanen, who had a down year. Or they could continue to be patient and try to land a big name next summer's free agency when they have more cap space.
There's no perfect route for the Blazers to land a star. It's typically either an overpay or a catch with a risk involved one way or another.
Portland's best bet would have been to land that star via the draft. But they got unlucky in the lottery, missing out on Victor Wembanyama by one lottery ball combination and falling all the way to No. 7 last summer. Perhaps the Blazers will land a top-four pick on Monday. Or maybe one of Scoot Henderson or Shaedon Sharpe will reach their increasingly high ceilings. But the Blazers need something to change.
Their urgency to upgrade their roster stems from the corner they've backed themselves into. They're trying to compete in a playoff weight class they're not prepared for, and the fact that they need to upgrade the roster externally just to keep up is a sign they're not fully ready.