Two of the Portland Trail Blazers' most significant offseason needs include adding more three-point shooting and forward depth. Sports Illustrated's Jackson Caudell proposed a three-team deal involving the Trail Blazers, Atlanta Hawks, and Dallas Mavericks, where Portland addresses these needs by landing a package involving Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, and young assets.
Here is the deal in full:
Hawks Receive: Robert Williams III and Matisse Thybulle
Mavericks Receive: Anfernee Simons and Terance Mann
Blazers Receive: Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, Caleb Martin, Kobe Bufkin, Dwight Powell, a 2027 2nd round pick (from ATL, via CLE), a 2029 2nd round pick (from ATL, via CLE), and a 2031 top-eight protected 1st round pick (via Dallas)
The Blazers should trade Anfernee Simons, but is this the right package?
The Trail Blazers trade away veterans Anfernee Simons, Robert Williams III, and Matisse Thybulle, all of whom could potentially be on the move this summer. They'd also likely have Jabari Walker and Dalano Banton walk in free agency to clear roster space to take on all these players.
Klay Thompson's production is declining at 35 years old, and he is owed $34 million over the next two seasons, which is an overpay. But the Trail Blazers were a bottom-five three-point shooting team the past two seasons. They could still use Thompson's floor spacing, as shooting is typically the last thing to go for a player. Despite the down season, Thompson shot 39.1 percent from beyond the arc with Dallas.
The most intriguing asset for Portland would be P.J. Washington, whom we previously named as a top realistic trade target for them to pursue this summer. Dallas miraculously landing Cooper Flagg makes Washington much more expendable, especially since his contract is set to expire after the 2025-26 season.
Ideally, Portland would bring in Washington as a replacement for Jerami Grant, given he's five years younger, more efficient, and a significantly better rebounder.
Before the chaotic lottery, we'd be concerned that the 2031 pick is top-eight protected. Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison has made it clear through his words and actions that he doesn't prioritize Dallas' long-term outlook, saying that the future to him is "three to four years from now," among several other things.
But the Mavericks got a life raft by landing Flagg with a 1.8 percent chance, meaning they should still be competitive after Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, and company are nearing the end of their careers (unless Harrison decides to trade Flagg in his prime).
Washington and the draft capital would be great additions to Portland's young core, while Thompson could provide a short-term shooting upgrade to help unlock that core. But the other players in the package -- Caleb Martin, Kobe Bufkin, and Dwight Powell -- are essentially non-factors that wouldn't help Portland get back into playoff relevancy.
When healthy, Williams and Thybulle have already proven to be All-Defense-level players. And Simons is arguably the Trail Blazers' biggest trade chip this offseason. This isn't the return worth cashing in that chip for; it's too steep a price to pay. They'd be better off pursuing Washington in a smaller, separate deal.
Grade: C