The Portland Trail Blazers find themselves in a precarious spot as they are 28-34 after a 119-102 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, winning too much to tank but not enough to make the play-in. But in some ways, they simply couldn't avoid this outcome.
The Blazers are 5-3 since Deandre Ayton was sidelined with a left calf strain. They are also 2-1 without Jerami Grant, who has been dealing with right knee soreness. Portland's recent success without their two highest-paid players shows why trading them wouldn't have significantly affected their record.
It also is a testament to their young core and indicates that the Blazers may be ready to accelerate their rebuild via trade.
Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report recently had a mailbag and was asked about the possibility of Portland taking more of a win-now approach.
"This season has definitely proven that the Blazers aren't bad enough to follow the traditional 'be bad until you get enough high draft picks to be good' approach to rebuilding. Two of the young guys they're building around, Avdija and Camara, would be starters on most playoff teams today," Highkin responded.
Blazers must keep building through trades, as their young core is too talented for a full-on tank
GM Joe Cronin has an unconventional approach to rebuilding, prioritizing up-and-coming players rather than strictly draft capital. Cronin and Assistant GM Mike Schmitz have done a great job of identifying and pursuing talent around the league, even if it means surrendering draft picks in the process. Typically, that is a recipe for disaster. But Cronin's gamble paid off, as their two wings have emerged as foundational pieces in their rebuild.
The Deni Avdija deal is becoming a steal for Portland, as he's one of their best players at just 24 years old. You could also argue that Toumani Camara is the most important player on the roster, as someone with a legitimate case for All-Defensive honors this season. Not only are they playing at a high level, but they are the exact type of two-way wings that the Blazers were missing, making the deals that much more worth it.
Tanking is oftentimes the correct way to rebuild, but it doesn't guarantee success. You must get lucky in the lottery, hit on your picks, stay healthy, and build a winning culture. History has shown that for every Oklahoma City Thunder success, there's a Philadelphia 76ers failure.
There are multiple paths to winning in the NBA. For teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, it may come more easily due to their legacy, location, market size, and, of course, getting Luka Doncic handed to them.
For Portland, the goal entering the season was to position themselves for a shot at Cooper Flagg or another potentially franchise-altering prospect this summer. While they're farther from that reality than hoped, the silver lining is that their trades have paid off, giving them tangible, impactful players at positions of need rather than just a theoretical future that may or may not happen.
The Blazers' floor is now too high to embrace a full-on tank. But in the process, they have developed a winning culture and have accumulated plenty of elite role players ready to complement a star when one finally comes into the picture. Maybe their blueprint lies less in drafting that star and more in trading for one.