Entering the ‘25-’26 season, it was readily apparent that the Blazers’ three-point percentage was to be the club’s most glaring weakness after trading Anfernee Simons. Outside of scooping up an undrafted Caleb Love, general manager Joe Cronin did nothing to address the issue in the offseason, instead banking on measurable roster-wide improvements.
This shortcoming was fully realized just a handful of games into the season; until fairly recently, the Blazers oscillated between 29th and 30th place in team three-point percentage. As of the time of this writing, the Blazers are now 27th in that department after an uncharacteristically strong December. What’s the story there, and what does Cronin need to do in order to address it?
Trail Blazers must add shooting at the trade deadline
By the month, the Blazers shot 33.9% in October (21st in the league), 31.7% in November (dead last), 35.8% in December (17th), and as of the time of this writing, 36.8% in January (14th). Some might recall an event that happened on October 23rd that shook the Blazers’ development to its core—the arrest of coach Chauncey Billups seemed to throw the offense into disarray.
Unsurprisingly, that offense bottomed out in November, as new coach Tiago Splitter took up the mantle and began to right the ship. However, even barring that disastrous month, the percentage stands at 35.5%—tied with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder at 16th. Keeping company with the defending champs seems like a win, but the Blazers attempt the fourth-most threes in the NBA. The Thunder, by contrast, attempts the 16th most.
Portland’s offense is certainly built around the idea of the three-pointer, but the percentage doesn’t line up with attempts. This is where the trade deadline comes in.
Finding that magical candidate is easier said than done, but shopping for fit within an existing offense makes things a bit easier. For starters, any player must be gettable, an intentionally ambiguous term that is the sum of all intangibles—contract value, team standing, and the overall willingness of the trade partner to let the target go. This is a metric that a front offense must square against a list of desirable trade targets.
As for system fit, the Blazers rank 9th in the NBA in pace; as it stands, the Blazers shoot 31.6% on pull-up threes, good for 24th in the league. Within that category, Shaedon Sharpe shoots 32.5% and Deni Avdija 26.4%; the ideal candidate will shoot above both on the same shot diet.
Unsurprisingly, the leaders in this category (Stephen Curry, Jamal Murray) are unavailable. Others, such as Malik Monk (42.9%), Sam Merrill (43.2%), and Bogdan Bogdanovic (40%) fit the bill and seem extraordinarily gettable.
Of course, pull-up three-point shooting isn’t the end-all stat, but it falls in line with the Blazers’ offensive philosophy this season. With Portland’s recent spate of victories and an easy remaining schedule, the Blazers may look to build on current trends rather than shift directions.