The Portland Trail Blazers were never in the hunt to land future Hall-of-Fame LeBron James, but his signing with the Philadelphia 76ers emphasized a larger issue that has been taking shape in the NBA. Whether they like it or not, Rip City is at the heart of the discussion and has been for some time.
James is yet another example of stars electing to migrate East. Most notably, both he and Kawhi Leonard have made the switch this offseason, James via free agency and Leonard via trade. Other star players, like Jaylen Brown and Giannis Antetokounmpo, have shifted teams within the Eastern Conference. It's been a trend for a while now, and there is a clear root cause that nobody wants to admit: players do not want to compete for a Conference Championship with the likes of the Thunder and the Spurs.
For three years running, the Oklahoma City Thunder have monopolized the Western Conference's one seed, and they have reached the Conference Finals each of the last two seasons. It appears now that the San Antonio Spurs have joined them in this new era of dominance. The franchises are two of the youngest, most well-run organizations in the NBA, and their reign over the Wild West doesn't have a clear end in sight.
Trail Blazers and others have fallen victim to league-wide migration
Because of this fact, other Western Conference competitors, like the Blazers, Lakers, Nuggets, and Timberwolves, have found the free-agent pool nearly impossible to navigate. Even the league's most premium trades have seen players either moving to the Eastern Conference or staying there.
Only LaMelo Ball has made the reverse switch. He comes to Minnesota, along with questions about his work ethic and basketball IQ.
Portland's biggest splash this offseason, Ja Morant, has more in common with LaMelo than LeBron. The Grizzlies had difficulty giving the former All-Star away before the Blazers acquired him for veteran Jerami Grant and Kris Murray. Given the lack of demand for the controversial guard, the package sent in return might have been an overpay.
Trail Blazers' uninspiring offseason a product of growing power imbalance
Aside from the move, Portland GM Joe Cronin has failed to make any inspirational transactions. Arguably the most impressive free-agent signing thus far has been former Thunder Brendan Carlson, who spent most of his time in Oklahoma City in street clothes, watching the Western Conference juggernaut compete from the sidelines.
Whether it's been coincidental or fear-driven, the offseason has proved difficult to navigate for the entire Western Conference. Every playoff team not named the Thunder or Spurs has either gotten worse or barely managed to tread water, and the Trail Blazers are no exception.
The alarming trend has created a severe power imbalance that doesn't appear to be changing any time soon, and it could be a troubling next few seasons for a Portland fanbase that is threatened with having to say goodbye to their beloved franchise.
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