4 Bounce-back candidates the Blazers must try to resurrect in Portland

The Portland Trail Blazers could have a busy offseason with several veterans as potential trade candidates. By now, we all know who the Blazers could trade away, with similar names from last summer resurfacing. The only question is, who could Portland acquire?

Whether it's via trade or free agency, it's clear the Blazers need to upgrade their roster to give themselves a legitimate shot at making the playoffs in the Wild West. But it's also essential that they aren't too aggresive to the point where it sets back their rebuild and prevents them from eventually building a sustainable contender.

Finding buy-low opportunities will be key for Portland to land players that can boost their young core without sacrificing the future.

Marcus Smart

It's not too often a former Defensive Player of the Year is an intriguing buy-low option, but such is life when you are forced to downgrade from the defending champion Boston Celtics and deal with a plethora of injuries. Smart hasn't exceeded 20 games played in the past three seasons. His rapid decrease in production is also concerning, as he's averaged just 9.3 points, 2.5 assists, and 1.9 rebounds this season with the Wizards.

But Smart is on an expiring $21.6 million contract, meaning the Blazers can part ways if he is, in fact, washed. They could treat this next season as an audition. Given his production and where the Wizards are in their rebuild, it would be safe to assume he can be had for relatively cheap as a low-risk, high-reward option.

Smart brings the physicality and defensive tenacity that both Joe Cronin and Chauncey Billups value. If this experiment works out, he could be valuable as a mentor for Scoot Henderson, helping to get him what they ultimately want him to be.

Portland's backcourt could have several minutes opening up depending on what they decide to do with Anfernee Simons and Dalano Banton this summer. While Henderson should be the primary beneficiary, Smart could be the veteran presence they need.

De’Anthony Melton

De'Anthony Melton signed a one-year, $12.8 million deal with the Golden State Warriors last summer but was dealt to the Brooklyn Nets after suffering a season-ending ACL injury. It's easy to overlook just how impactful Melton is when healthy, as his value as a two-way guard goes beyond his counting stats.

The Blazers' defense ranked in the top ten in 2025, but their one vulnerability is their backcourt trio of Simons, Henderson, and Shaedon Sharpe. Adding Melton would immediately address that flaw on day one, and the fact that he's 26 years old would fit in nicely with their rebuilding timeline. Coming off a significant injury, Melton would be a solid buy-low option in free agency.

Saddiq Bey

Another player who has come off an ACL injury is Saddiq Bey, now with the Washington Wizards. Some may forget that because he has yet to suit up for them.

Bey signed a three-year, $20 million deal with the Wizards last summer, which many considered excellent asset management for them to replace some of what Deni Avdija provided while acquiring draft capital to set themselves up for years to come.

One year later, the answer is easy: Deni only. Still, Bey was a solid flier for the Wizards because they wanted to tank the 2024-25 season regardless, meaning they could afford to be patient with his recovery.

Perhaps, now that he's healthy, the Wizards could look to flip Bey for more assets, similarly to how they signed Jonas Valančiūnas and traded him to Sacramento for two second-rounders.

Simone Fontecchio

After a surprising breakout 2023-24 season, Simone Fontecchio came back down to earth for the Detroit Pistons. This year, his role decreased due to Detroit's improved roster, going from 30.3 to 16.5 minutes per game.

Fontecchio averaged just 5.9 points, but his shooting, in particular, could be a valuable asset off the bench for a Blazers team that ranked near the bottom of the league the past two seasons. Fontecchio hovered around 40 percent from beyond the arc in 2023-24, but shot just 33.5 percent this season. If Portland is convinced his shooting was a fluke, it would be an excellent opportunity for them to pull the trigger to land a role player for relatively cheap.

The Pistons could be looking to bolster their roster this summer to help them get over that hump now that they are a playoff team, potentially making someone like Fontecchio more expendable. He's worth a flier for the Blazers to see if this was just a down season, and he could build off of 2023-24 going forward.