Given their surprising midseason turnaround sparked by defensive improvements and the progression of their young core, the Portland Trail Blazers may be ready to make the playoffs as soon as next season. That would likely require a bold move this offseason for the Blazers to push them over the hump and into playoff contention, especially in the loaded Western Conference.
Joe Cronin has shown in past trades that he's willing to sacrifice draft capital if the right deal comes around. A few realistic trade targets are worth doing so this summer, and Zion Williamson should be high on Portland's wish list.
Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus recently proposed an offseason trade that would land Williamson in Portland. But he doesn't come cheap, as it would require the Blazers to blow up their up-and-coming backcourt.
Here's what the deal would look like:
The Blazers would receive $11.8 million and $4.7 million trade exceptions from Williamson and Hawkins, respectively. Pincus also notes that this deal would put both teams at the first apron, but they would likely be able to resolve that in the offseason and enter 2025-26 below the luxury tax.
Is Zion Williamson worth it for Portland?
Assuming both teams can figure that out financially, it's easy to at least see the framework behind this deal. The Pelicans entered 2024-25 with playoff aspirations but have been the league's most disappointing team with a 19-52 record in an injury-plagued season.
Now, New Orleans should be embracing a rebuild around the emerging Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, and what will likely be a top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Brandon Ingram was the first domino to fall at the trade deadline, increasing the likelihood that the Pelicans could be open to moving Zion next.
A potential starting five of Anfernee Simons, Jones, Murphy III, Cooper Flagg/Ace Bailey, and Yves Missi would be a tremendous step in the right direction for New Orleans to reshape their roster. They could build a deep bench around Shaedon Sharpe and their draft picks, including the first-round pick from Portland and whatever they can land from moving Dejounte Murray and CJ McCollum.
Although they lose an All-Star, this deal is a no-brainer for the Pelicans and helps bail them out of their messy situation. But does it make sense for Portland to pull the trigger?
Williamson fits the Blazers' timeline well at 24 years old, is on a contract that mitigates the risk of his injury-proneness, and would provide them with their much-needed All-Star solution. Jordan Hawkins would also be an underrated addition as a sharpshooter, addressing arguably Portland's biggest weakness.
If the Blazers accepted, they could roll out a future starting five of Scoot Henderson, Toumani Camara, Deni Avdija, Zion Williamson, and Donovan Clingan. That is a young, defensive-minded, and physically dominant lineup that they should still pursue this summer.
However, one of the main appeals of targeting Zion is that it would likely require fewer assets to land him, at least relative to other All-Stars around the league. Surrendering Simons, Sharpe, and a valuable first-round pick is too steep and doesn't account for his injury risk enough.
Portland should accept if it were just Simons and a first-round pick. But Sharpe has too much tantalizing upside to give up on despite concerns surrounding his defense or looming extension.
The Blazers should only consider trading this kind of package for a bonafide star with fewer question marks. It's an unnecessarily aggressive, all-in move that sacrifices several valuable assets. And if Williamson were to suffer an injury, it would set their rebuild back significantly.
Portland shouldn't blow up their backcourt and take that kind of gamble at this point in their rebuild, especially with the promising strides they've made this season.