The LeBron James free agency saga is finally over, as the aging king has decided to take his talents to the City of Brotherly Love.
Friday, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that James has agreed to a massive pay cut in the form of a two-year, $8 million deal with a player option. While the paycut was to be expected, Philadelphia wasn't really. They were always in the running, but appeared to be closer to a dark horse compared to the likes of a Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Miami Heat or a storybook return to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
But what isn't surprising is that, unfortunately, the Portland Trail Blazers were nowhere close to consideration. Still, James' signing is a league-altering decision that affects all 30 teams.
NBA offseason can continue now that LeBron James made his decision
For Portland, it means two things:
1) Their chances of a deep playoff run increase with James (and Kawhi Leonard) now in the Eastern Conference.
2.) They can finally continue making offseason moves, as everything appeared to be put on hold as teams awaited the fallout from James' decision.
One trade target that should appeal to Portland in particular is New Orleans Pelicans rising star Trey Murphy III. John Hollinger of The Athletic previously reported that Murphy trade talks could potentially resurface once the James free agency dust settles.
“Chatter about a Trey Murphy trade, while lessened, hasn’t vanished and is one of many potential pieces of league business that could resurface once LeBron James’ next destination becomes clear," wrote Hollinger.
Blazers need to see if Trey Murphy III is the next domino to fall
Even at 41, James' free agency signing remains a league-altering decision. The offseason chaos can officially continue, and Portland needs to at least explore whether that means Murphy is the next domino to fall.
Heading into the summer, he already checked every box the Blazers needed: shooting, shot-creation, and versatile perimeter defense. Not to mention, his age and relatively team-friendly contract are perfectly aligned with Portland's timeline.
That is especially the case following their offseason moves. Portland's wing/forward depth has gone from bad to worse after moving on from Jerami Grant, Kris Murray, and Matisse Thybulle. Everyone they've currently brought in has been point guards or bigs, including Ja Morant, Micah Potter, and Branden Carlson.
Sure, Portland could somewhat address that in free agency by signing someone like Bruce Brown Jr., but that's not going to be enough to balance out this lopsided roster.
The Pelicans likely maintain a steep asking price for Murphy, but it could be worthwhile in Portland's case. It's not in GM Joe Cronin's nature to pay a premium on a player, as evidenced by the Deni Avdija and most recently, Morant trades. But at some point, they need to be willing to pay up for a player who is the perfect addition to this young core. Of the remaining trade candidates this offseason, that's Murphy.
Hopefully, as Hollinger mentioned, trade talks pick up after the James dust settles.
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