The Portland Trail Blazers now have four point guards on their roster after acquiring Ja Morant from the Memphis Grizzlies. That led many to wonder whether they had a follow-up trade, with Jrue Holiday or even Scoot Henderson potentially being on the move to round out this roster.
While that's certainly possible in this unexpected NBA offseason, initial signs point to Portland wanting to make this backcourt logjam work. If that is indeed the case, it should spell the end for Blake Wesley's time in Portland.
Trail Blazers backcourt no longer has room for Blake Wesley
Wesley, Robert Williams III, Matisse Thybulle, and Caleb Love (restricted) were the four Blazers players set to hit free agency this summer. Portland wisely extended Williams to a three-year, $44 million deal that was only fully guaranteed in his first season. As for Wesley, Thybulle, and Love, their respective fates remain undetermined.
After signing former Oklahoma City Thunder big man Branden Carlson to a one-year, $2.5 million deal, Portland suddenly has a plethora of guards and bigs. They essentially have four point guards and four centers -- two positions accounting for 53 percent of their eventual 15-man roster.
In other words, this team is badly hurting for wing depth. That was already an issue for Portland last season, but the departures of Jerami Grant and Kris Murray to Memphis in the Morant deal have only exacerbated those concerns.
As a result, you could make a case for Thybulle to return next season. Love, we could even see a case for keeping after his promising rookie season, especially given his ability to play off-ball. But unfortunately, that case is largely non-existent for Wesley.
Despite a strong season of his own that was limited by untimely injuries, Wesley was entering this summer on thin ice in Portland. He fit their defensive identity well, using his speed to hound defenders the length of the court. However, that still didn't seem enough to overcome his poor offensive fit for a Blazers team in dire need of more shooting. Combine that with Damian Lillard's return, and it made sense for Wesley to walk in free agency for Portland to better balance its roster elsewhere.
Now, they made the surprising decision to trade for another non-shooting point guard in Morant, which should only further confirm that Wesley is no longer a fit for this roster.
If that is the case, hopefully Wesley can find his footing in the NBA elsewhere. In a different situation, he's worthy of a roster spot. He's just 23 years old, a former first-round pick, and the type of role player teams should want at the end of their bench as someone who doesn't need the ball or plays drawn up for him to leave his mark on the game.
Wesley quickly won fans over during what could very well be a brief stint in Portland. And wherever he ultimately winds up, he'll continue to do the same as an easy guy to root for.
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