The Portland Trail Blazers were quiet at the trade deadline as one of the few teams not to make a single move. GM Joe Cronin is prolonging the inevitable, as it's apparent that this roster is unfinished. Hopefully, some of the discussions they had with teams at the deadline carry over into the summer, and Portland can make a significant trade that fans have been eagerly waiting for.
The Blazers haven't been able to sign free agents or be trade facilitators because they are limited financially. Their highest-paid players are also the same ones taking away roles from their young core, making them obvious trade candidates this summer.
1. Deandre Ayton
Jason Quick of The Athletic wrote this about Deandre Ayton at last year's trade deadline, and it still applies: "There has been an eerie resemblance to Hassan Whiteside, the former Blazers' center whose statistics looked nice but had little to no impact on a game. The quicker the Blazers can move off Ayton, the sooner I will believe this franchise is headed in the right direction."
Ideally, Ayton would have been moved at the trade deadline, which would have solved many issues surrounding Portland's current logjam at the center position. But it was clear that the Blazers couldn't trade him due to his massive $34 million salary and relatively low impact on winning.
The good news for Portland is that it will be easier to move Ayton in the summer as teams can keep over 15 players on their roster, and there is much more financial flexibility with all the moving parts that come with the offseason. It should also be easier to convince a team to take on Ayton since he is on an expiring deal next season.
2. Jerami Grant
The Blazers need to trade Jerami Grant -- a statement that we hopefully don't have to keep repeating for years to come. Portland should never have signed Grant to the five-year, $160 million deal in the first place. They had a chance to correct that mistake last offseason, but GM Joe Cronin was too stubborn with his steep asking price of two first-round picks.
It remains to be seen what, if any, offers the Blazers had for Grant at the deadline. But at this point, I would take anything that doesn't involve giving away draft capital and lands the Blazers a player on a shorter deal than Grant.
Hopefully, a team wants Grant this summer. Portland needs to trade him as soon as possible, as he's turning into more of a negative asset the longer the Blazers hold onto him. But that's going to take some convincing, given his age, contract, and declining play.
3. Anfernee Simons
Next season, Anfernee Simons will be on a $27.7 million expiring deal. He's set for a substantial payday as one of the most prolific combo guards in the league -- the Blazers shouldn't be the team that gives it to him.
Similarly to Ayton, Simons' numbers don't necessarily equate to impact on winning. For as good of a scorer and shooter as Simons is, there are still flaws in his game as a playmaker and an undersized defender. If Simons is one of your highest-paid players, your ceiling as a team will be very limited.
On top of that, Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe have shown enough promise this season for Portland to officially give them the keys to the backcourt next season.
If the Blazers don't trade Simons before next year's deadline, they'll be forced to make a decision -- overpay him or let him walk for nothing? Portland needs to proactively get ahead of this lose-lose scenario by trading him in the summer.