The Portland Trail Blazers are about to experience the playoff atmosphere once more. It didn't seem likely at the trade deadline, especially when they were in the midst of a six-game losing streak. There may even have been calls for the Blazers to be sellers and cash in on their veteran by trading them for draft picks or younger players. Good thing they didn't.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst noted on a recent episode of his show that Portland had the opportunity to sell at the deadline, mentioning Jerami Grant and Jrue Holiday as the possible pieces the team could have presumably shipped to a contender. Another veteran who garnered some trade buzz was Robert Williams III.
It's unclear if there was a robust market for any of them. Whatever the case, the Blazers likely never even considered trading those players. And they should be patting themselves on the back for taking the risk of holding onto them, as Holiday, Grant, and Williams III have had a key role in the team's successful pursuit of a playoff berth.
The vets are all right
Holiday has proven to be a crucial piece of the puzzle in Portland. His two-way skills have helped the squad register a top-ranked defense down the stretch of the regular season and stay afloat on offense. He probably has the highest trade value among the veterans, but he has also given the front office plenty of reasons to keep him in the fold.
Grant's worth was on full display in the Blazers' Play-In Tournament win over the Phoenix Suns. His availability had been in question days before the contest. Fortunately, he had recovered well enough to participate, providing them with a reliable scorer off the bench. In 19 minutes of action, he put up 16 points, nearly matching the combined score of the Suns' bench players.
Williams III was a non-factor in Phoenix, but the "Time Lord" was key in the Blazers' run to the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference regular season standings. He could be an X-factor in their battle against the second-seeded San Antonio Spurs, as his physicality, defensive smarts, and playoff experience could be useful in limiting Victor Wembanyama.
The Blazers are definitely facing an uphill battle in the first round of the playoffs. But the old-timers may be able to help them clinch the upset.
The murky long-term outlook
Unfortunately, even if Portland has to feel vindicated for not being a seller at the trade deadline, things could be different come summer.
The franchise is now under new ownership, with Tom Dundon's group's purchase of the Blazers having been approved in late March — well after the deadline had passed. By the looks of it, the new owners do not seem too keen on spending a ton of money while running the show. The reports of Dundon not wanting to pay a head coach over $1.5 million in annual salary and the team not handing out free playoff shirts at Moda Center for Games 3 and 4 have had some fans wondering how its approach to roster-building will be moving forward.
So, it is certainly possible that the Blazers' strategy in mapping out the roster this offseason could be starkly different from how it was months ago.
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