The Portland Trail Blazers didn’t do much at the trade deadline, adding only Vit Krejci, but that’s all they had to do. Portland has taken a small leap this season, but the worst thing they could have done at the deadline was rush things. They didn’t do that. Instead, they added a cheap, solid, young player to bring off the bench. That was plenty.
Too often, teams try to push the limits of their core. New, big-time players are added into the fold, and the team ruins a good thing. That was the worst-possible scenario for the Blazers. And the fact that they sat back, made a small addition, and kept it moving is an absolute win.
They didn’t need to do anything else.
Blazers did exactly what they were meant to at trade deadline
Krejci is only 25 years old, 6-foot-8, and is having a great season this year. In his 46 appearances with the Atlanta Hawks (prior to his trade to the Blazers), h
Adding him to a Blazers rotation that needed a small infusion of three-point shooting is a massive win, and in his first game with Portland, he got 14 minutes.
Krejci didn’t shoot that well in the performance, going just 2-of-7 from the field and 1-of-6 from deep in Portland’s loss to the Phoenix Suns, but still, he projects to be a solid overall fit for the Blazers.
Portland could have made a huge push for a star. They could have tried pursuing Giannis Antetokounmpo. They could have chased Jaren Jackson Jr.
They had the draft assets and young players to throw in a deal to make a splash. And a splash, in theory, could have helped Deni Avdija and the rest of Portland’s young core make a leap.
But it could have also destroyed all of the good things the Blazers have accomplished this season.
Though they aren’t quite a top-six seed in the Western Conference, Portland has taken a big-time leap this year. The addition of Jrue Holiday has been awesome, Avdija is a first-time All-Star, and Shaedon Sharpe has been great, too.
Had the Blazers decided to make their swing now, it could have disrupted the progression process for their young guys while also emptying their draft cabinet and assets chest.
But the Blazers didn’t make that type of deal. They traded Duop Reath and two seconds for a bench guy who could help them on the backend.
It was exactly what they should have done. They played the trade deadline perfectly.