The fallout from the NBA trade deadline will certainly alter how teams approach the 2026 NBA Draft. FanSided's Christopher Kline released his latest mock draft that has teams addressing newly created roster holes or doubling down on their deadline wins. But what does that mean for a team like the Portland Trail Blazers, whose only move was adding sharpshooter Vit Krejci from the Atlanta Hawks?
Kline has the Blazers going with the best available prospect, selecting Arizona Wildcats forward Koa Peat with the No. 11 overall pick. We don't mind the pick at all, but it's not a perfect fit with Jerami Grant still in the picture. It could be hard for the Blazers to find a consistent role and minutes for Peat, which is yet another reason why they should've traded Grant at the deadline when they had the chance.
Keeping Jerami Grant complicates Blazers' offseason plans
Peat is only a freshman, but already has the physical tools to make an immediate impact in the NBA. That aligns well with the stage Portland is at in its rebuild; it would be a symbiotic relationship, if you will. Peat adds frontcourt depth in Portland's quest to return to the postseason, while "Portland can give him the infrastructure for immediate success," Kline writes.
Peat is a bit of a tweener due to his inability to reliably space the floor. Often, free-throw percentage is the best indicator of a player's shooting ability, and Peat shoots just 60.8%. That's not ideal for a Blazers team that currently ranks dead last in the association in three-point percentage, although we'll see how much the addition of Krejci changes that.
Most significantly, it may be challenging for the Blazers to truly develop Peat. Moving Grant would've solved a lot of these problems. It's not just Peat, either. There are a ton of promising forwards projected to be selected in the late lottery range.
For instance, in Klein's mock draft, Yaxel Lendeborg lands with the Charlotte Hornets at No. 10, Hannes Steinbach goes to the San Antonio Spurs at No. 12, and the Memphis Grizzlies take a swing on Nate Ament at No. 15 (via Orlando).
By trading Grant, the Blazers would've had much more flexibility this upcoming offseason. Financially, they'd get off his massive contract that has three years left, clearing room to retain Deni Avdija and the rest of their young core. And as this mock shows, it would give them more options in terms of what direction they take the draft.
Of course, the Blazers could still trade Grant after selecting someone like Peat, but that's easier said than done. This deadline was a prime opportunity for the Blazers to fix their Grant mistake, as his trade value increased thanks to a bounce-back season. Who knows if that window will be closed by the time summer comes around.