This summer will present a golden opportunity for the Portland Trail Blazers and GM Joe Cronin to sort out their messy roster, which contributed to a confusing, frustrating, entertaining, and promising rollercoaster of a season all wrapped in one.
The Blazers' surprising season has proven they are ready to accelerate their rebuild and push for a Play-In, or even playoff, spot as early as next season, depending on what moves are made this offseason. Specifically, decisions will have to be made regarding Portland's veterans.
Deandre Ayton and Anfernee Simons both have expiring contracts at the end of next season. It's harder to justify keeping Ayton around than Simons due to the Blazers' center logjam and the fact that their roster lacks playmaking and shooting. But with Scoot Henderson finally turning a corner in his second season, it's possible both aren't in Portland's long-term plans.
That's not to mention Jerami Grant, who is starting to feel like a deadweight the Blazers may be stuck with. Hopefully, Portland can find a trade partner this offseason when teams have more financial flexibility.
The Blazers have a future starting lineup of Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, Toumani Camara, Deni Avdija, and Donovan Clingan emerging. Now that they have a proven young core that has already showcased their ability to compete for a Play-In spot, Portland is ready to make that next step in the rebuilding process.
Blazers need to make their young core more of a priority
Currently, they are stockpiling talent and figuring out the rest later. Now, they need to become a team that makes decisions based on how these pieces best fit together.
They likely aren't moving on from their three top-ten picks anytime soon, and Camara and Avdija are arguably their two most important players on extremely team-friendly contracts. So now, the question shifts to how they can find pieces that complement these five players.
The most glaring weakness amongst this group is their shooting, as all are either average or below-average three-point shooters at their respective positions. Analytics show how essential three-point shooting is in the modern NBA, and the Blazers will be fighting an uphill battle until they address that flaw in their core.
Some sharpshooting prospects projected to go around where the Blazers will likely pick in the 2025 NBA Draft include Duke's Kon Knueppel, Uconn's Liam McNeeley, and potentially Texas' Tre Johnson.
But at the same time, the Blazers should double down on their strengths by finding more long and athletic pieces that can seamlessly fit and add to the identity that Cronin has been emphasizing.
Camara and Avdija are two-way wings who can guard multiple positions, but the Blazers lack depth behind them. Adding another versatile forward into the mix would do wonders, whether that's through the draft with someone like South Carolina's Collin Murray-Boyles or another trade.
This season has shown that Portland shouldn't avoid being involved in discussions for a blockbuster trade this offseason. It feels weird to say because just one year ago, the Blazers won 21 games, but life moves fast in the ever-evolving NBA landscape.
Cronin has also shown he's not afraid to include draft picks in deals if the right player comes around, as was the case with Avdija.
This summer will be significant for the trajectory of the Blazers' rebuild. With such an unfinished roster, they could take it in several different directions.
However, moving forward, their core five players need to be prioritized more, both on the court with increased roles and off the court, by building a roster that best complements them.