The Portland Trail Blazers have ten games left in the 2024-25 season. They're 2.5 games back from the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks for a play-in spot but are running out of time to gain ground. These remaining games are crucial for their rebuild, both in terms of their young core getting valuable experience and the Blazers gaining more roster clarity heading into a pivotal offseason.
GM Joe Cronin chose to stand pat at the trade deadline, kicking Portland's roster issues down the road. They will need to address these outstanding issues this offseason, especially since key contracts are set to expire after the 2025-26 season.
At the top of that list is what to do with their guard trio of Anfernee Simons, Scoot Henderson, and Shaedon Sharpe.
Trail Blazers must find clarity in their backcourt
Simons' contract expires after next year. He's a prolific scorer and helps the Blazers' offensive weaknesses with his shooting and secondary playmaking. But does he impact winning enough to be one of the team's highest-paid players?
Sharpe is eligible for a rookie-scale extension this summer. Is his upside worth taking a long-term gamble on now, or would the Blazers be better off letting him become a restricted free agent in 2026?
Henderson has undeniably turned a corner in his second season, improving as a shooter, finisher, and more sound decision-maker. But he could also be more consistent. Is that just who he is as a player, or is it a result of Chauncey Billups giving him a fluctuating role and a lower usage rate than last year?
We'd bet on the latter, especially since he's just 21 years old. Guards typically take longer to develop in the NBA, and Henderson is still on track to be, at the very least, a solid starter. Henderson has proven he's ready to take on an increased role. Still, the issue is that the Blazers can't effectively play their three undersized guards together, as it would be too much of a defensive liability.
This year, they've figured out their identity as a lengthy and versatile team thanks to Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara. That's a winning formula going forward, but it also makes one of the Blazers' three promising guards the odd man out.
It's been great that Portland has been leaning more on their young core down the stretch. Hopefully, that will give Cronin more clarity to help make the Blazers' most important offseason decision.