The Portland Trail Blazers have acquired guard Vit Krejci from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Duop Reath and two future second-round picks, ESPN's Shams Charania reports.
Krejci continues to get better at just 25 years old and will be an ideal role player for Portland's young core. He's having a career year with the Hawks, averaging 9.0 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game.
Most importantly for Portland, Krejci is a reliable sharpshooter, connecting on 2.2 3-pointers per game at 42.3%. As Charania notes, that places him inside the top 20 in the league for three-point efficiency.
As a 6-foot-8 guard, he has the length that Portland's front office covets. So this is the move that can bolster a roster strength while also addressing a key weakness.
Blazers steal Vit Krejci to finally address shooting woes
The Blazers desperately needed more floor spacing, as they currently rank dead last in three-point shooting at 33.6%. That roster issue is compounded by their conflicting style of play under Tiago Splitter, with their 41.7 three-point attempts per game ranking third in the association behind only the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics.
While adding a role piece like Krejci won't completely fix this roster problem, it's a promising step in the right direction and a move Blazers fans have been begging for. The fact that they surrendered some draft capital should also signal their direction at the deadline. Many labeled Portland as a potential buyer this Trade Season, and that appears to be the case if this move is any indication.
While "Big Daddy" Duop Reath will be missed in Portland, he unfortunately seemed like the odd man out after undergoing season-ending foot surgery this past week.
Reath's contract is set to expire after this season, while Krejci has two years remaining with a $3 million team option in 2027-28. It's also worth noting that he's eligible for an extension this offseason, which could be an option given how significantly he's outplaying that contract.
Blazers fans are eagerly waiting to see if their team will make more of a splash leading up to the Feb. 5 trade deadline, but this is quietly a massive win in itself. With this being a one-for-one swap, the Blazers will still have to clear roster spots if they want to convert either Caleb Love or Sidy Cissoko to standard contracts, as their 50-game limits approach.
More fireworks could be on the way, but it's exciting to see Portland making its trade deadline stance clear. Shooting is a premium in the NBA, and they just managed to steal one of the best in the business.