The Portland Trail Blazers desperately need more forward depth. While the easiest way to address that is via free agency, their options continue to dwindle. Hopefully, they can land one of the top remaining forwards on the free-agent market, though at this point GM Joe Cronin should also be considering trade avenues.
One team in particular that makes sense as a potential trade partner is the Dallas Mavericks, who are flush with forwards such as Naji Marshall and P.J. Washington. After acquiring Santi Aldama from the Memphis Grizzlies, these players could be viewed as more expendable in what is a crowded frontcourt.
Blazers should target Naji Marshall and P.J. Washington in Dallas
Portland, on the other hand, has a logjam in the backcourt following their trade for Ja Morant. While they intend to keep Jrue Holiday around, something will eventually have to give. Dallas is rebuilding around Cooper Flagg and could benefit from taking a swing on one of Portland's up-and-coming guards, Scoot Henderson or Shaedon Sharpe.
It's also worth noting that former Blazers assistant GM Mike Schmitz is now the GM of the Mavericks, so there's clearly trust and a relationship already established between the two front offices.
Marshall is on an expiring $9.4 million deal, which is not only team-friendly for Portland but also a reason for Dallas to turn him into younger assets before risking him walking in free agency. Washington is locked up all the way through 2029-30, at which point his contract is still a reasonable $24.6 million. Cronin has a history of trading for players who are under contract for multiple seasons, so targeting Washington makes perfect sense from that standpoint.
Hopefully, Portland can come away with both pieces in this scenario, as they need to add multiple forwards to balance this wonky roster full of point guards and centers. But if it's only Washington, it's also worth noting that a one-for-one swap sending Sharpe to Dallas works financially.
P.J. Washington for Shaedon Sharpe - who says no?
Portland's high-flyer was extended to a four-year, $90 million deal before the start of last season. While that signals a long-term commitment to him as part of this young core, that hasn't necessarily been the case the past few seasons.
In 2024-25, Chauncey Billups benched Sharpe midseason, citing his lack of defense -- a decision that catalyzed Portland's end-of-season turnaround led by a top-ten defense following the new year.
This past season, Sharpe had the best statistical year of his career, but that momentum was derailed by a calf injury that lingered towards the end of the season. By the time the playoff series against the Spurs came around, he was largely out of Tiago Splitter's rotation, averaging 13.4 minutes per game in that five-game stretch. At his exit interview, Sharpe revealed that he was fully physically healthy, declining to share Splitter's reasoning behind the frustrating decision.
Perhaps things are different with Micah Nori calling the shots, but it's been two consecutive head coaches who haven't prioritized Sharpe. That's been the story of his Blazers tenure, even in terms of the roster decisions made by Cronin.
Assuming Portland is truly set on keeping the star trio of Morant, Lillard, and Holiday around, it clouds the future of Henderson and Sharpe in Portland. Between the two, it could surprisingly be Sharpe who is the odd man out, as Henderson is the cleaner off-ball fit thanks to his emerging 3-and-D skillset.
A Sharpe-Washington swap would certainly fit this roster better, but is also a decision that could potentially come back to haunt Portland. Washington is the more impactful player as of now, but he's also an elite role player with a high floor and limited ceiling. Sharpe's career trajectory is more boom-or-bust, and it remains to be seen whether he can reach his untapped potential at just 23 years old.
It doesn't have to be that exact framework, but the point remains: Portland and Dallas are ideal trade partners for each other. Not just in terms of roster needs and positional logjams, but also in terms of timelines.
Hopefully, Cronin can call up his friend now in Dallas.
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