The Portland Trail Blazers loom as one of the mystery teams in NBA trade season. They could splurge on a young star wing and hope the rest of their roster is ready to compete. They could work around the margins and aim for a sneaky backcourt upgrade. They could consider some selective selling and try climbing up the 2026 draft board. Or maybe they just sit back and do nothing.
That's all a long-winded way of saying this squad could absolutely still be searching for upgrades this summer. And if they are, maybe a phone to call to the Washington Wizards would be in order to test their new commitment to Trae Young. Because if he proves a bad fit, or their young core clearly isn't ready to follow his lead, his tenure with the team could be a short one.
The Trail Blazers may quietly have some incentive to strike. Jrue Holiday is failing to live up to his contract, Scoot Henderson was failing to progress before getting stuck on the sidelines with a torn hamstring, and Damian Lillard's second go-round with this group could prove wholly underwhelming. Portland might need Young's scoring punch, particularly given its discounted price tag.
A trade for Trae could solve multiple problems in Portland.
In case this isn't already obvious, a move for Young would only make sense for the Blazers if he remains clearance priced. Considering he just cost the Wizards only CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, that seems like one of the safest wagers to make.
Some folks might wonder whether this qualifies as a discount. As an unbiased observer, I can assure you it does. Grant's counting categories are fine, but his impact is questionable (at best), and his salary outpaces his production. And Henderson may have already moved in afterthought territory if it wasn't for the 2023 draft investment in him as the No. 3 pick.
Those are two flawed trade assets with questionable value, and this trade pitch would turn them into a 27-year-old four-time All-Star. Does anything else need to be said here? That's just good basketball business, especially for those who can set sentimental feelings aside long enough to admit there's no real way of knowing how Lillard will look next season as a 36-year-old working his way back from a torn Achilles.
Do this deal, and Portland would be, at the very least, safeguarded against Lillard having less left in the tank than expected. Not to mention, the Blazers may have just built the league's next three-headed offensive monster in Young, Deni Avdija, and Shaedon Sharpe, an intriguing trio offering all manners of shot-making, creation, and three-level scoring.
The Blazers would also sidestep the pressing question of what Henderson's potential should add up to on his next contract while freeing up more perimeter minutes for their young wings.
Would Portland's perimeter defense take a hit with Young and an aging Lillard joining the mix? Sure, but the offensive gains could be even greater, and it's not like the Blazers are lacking the kind of frontcourt stoppers capable of covering for others' mistakes.
For now, this is simply a fun thought exercise about what the franchise's future might hold. In a matter of months, though, maybe this is a concept getting seriously tossed around the Blazers' front office.