The Portland Trail Blazers are a team to watch in their first offseason under new owner Tom Dundon. The stars are aligning with Portland's young core, proving they are ready to contribute to a playoff push right as Dundon is taking over, who is admittedly more aggressive than most.
At his introductory press conference, Dundon mentioned that GM Joe Cronin had a star trade lined up at the trade deadline, but they ultimately didn't pull the trigger. However, he also added that, should the opportunity present itself again, he'd be more aggressive.
Should the Blazers make a splash this summer?
Not only do you have to consider how these all-in moves for new owners like Mat Ishbia have backfired in years past, but you also have to factor in Portland's place in what remains a stacked Western Conference.
Landing a top-five player in the world in Giannis Antetokounmpo may help propel them into the tier of juggernauts along with the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder, especially considering how relatively well Antetokounmpo can match up with Victor Wembanyama. Still, landing Giannis remains a long shot for Portland, as he appears set to stay in the Eastern Conference with a significantly easier path to the Finals (as showcased by the New York Knicks' recent dominant run).
The Blazers are still in a position to facilitate a Giannis trade to his desired destination, whether that's New York, Boston, Cleveland, Miami, or somewhere else entirely. They could even come away with a star of their own in that scenario, cashing in the Bucks' future draft picks for a secondary star like Evan Mobley, Jaylen Brown, Karl-Anthony Towns, etc.
Portland needs an all-or-nothing approach this offseason
Cronin has rightfully and consistently prioritized the Blazers long-term outlook throughout this rebuild, despite Damian Lillard's return and the Jrue Holiday trade. Both were too good a value to pass up, and the fact that Portland's front office took on a long-term project in Yang Hansen in the draft the same year they acquired Holiday should tell you what their priority is as far as timeline.
If they truly wanted to win now, they would've held onto the No. 11 selection in Cedric Coward (which is an article for another day, considering he was named to the All-NBA Rookie First Team).
The point is, Portland may be at the same rebuilding timeline as teams like OKC and San Antonio. But they know they aren't a piece away from joining that tier.
Some fans are understandably eager to see this all-in move under Dundon, especially with the closing windows for Lillard and Holiday. However, the Blazers' best path to a championship lies in simply staying the course. As a team that has finally ended a five-year playoff drought, they already have plenty of star potential on the roster. They have to keep developing and, most importantly, prioritize them.
Portland's rebuild is at a crossroads as they have somewhat of a two-timeline approach after making the postseason and Lillard's return. Dundon has high expectations of winning sooner rather than later to establish a winning culture, but Portland needs to remember that its youth is its best and only pathway to the Finals at this point.
Trading for a star like Brown or Towns is going to be thrilling in the short term, but the Blazers must resist that short-term dopamine rush to play out the development of the young core they've invested multiple lottery picks into.
Shaedon Sharpe, for instance, still possesses arguably the highest upside on the entire roster, yet disappeared in his first playoff series. Scoot Henderson was electrifying in his first playoff series... for the first half. Then he disappeared even worse than Sharpe.
Deni Avdija will continue to build off his first All-Star season, especially since a back injury post-All-Star break largely derailed it. Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan have established themselves as legitimate building blocks and will only continue to expand their respective offensive arsenals. Portland's front office even remains bullish on rookie Yang Hansen, despite his limited minutes.
All the pieces are there for the Blazers to eventually have a roster that grows into contention. Blowing that up for a superstar of Giannis' caliber to win now with his former teammates, Lillard and Holiday, is one thing. But trading for a secondary star would continue straddling the two timelines, which appears to be Portland's more realistic option at this point.
If that is indeed the case, they'd be better off staying the course, patiently waiting for the continued development of their promising young core.
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