The Portland Trail Blazers are a team to watch leading up to training camp. Portland could still move Anfernee Simons, Jerami Grant, or another established player. But they achieved their main offseason goals, adding Donovan Clingan and Deni Avdija to their rebuilding roster while getting under the luxury tax.
While GM Joe Cronin should listen to offers for other players, they don't need to make another move if they don't receive good value in return. Cronin has shown patience in negotiations, and many of these trade talks could play out into the season. However, there are still a few questions the Blazers must answer before February's trade deadline.
1. Is Deandre Ayton a part of the Blazers' future core?
Deandre Ayton's contract expires at the end of the 2025-26 season. He's on the books for $35.6 million next season and is the highest-paid player on the Blazers' roster for the next two years. Technically, the Blazers could wait until the 2026 trade deadline before deciding whether or not to keep one of their best players.
Keeping Ayton around at the beginning of the upcoming season makes sense if they can't find the correct trade value for their big man. However, it could be difficult because of his contract and the fact that many NBA teams already have an established starting center on their team.
Additionally, incoming rookie Donovan Clingan could benefit from not starting immediately in the NBA, as he only averaged 22.6 minutes per game his sophomore season at UConn and needs time to improve his conditioning to get consistent NBA starter-level minutes.
But the Blazers shouldn't wait too long to decide on Ayton. If they choose to keep him, Portland can focus on moving Robert Williams III or Duop Reath. Four centers are on their roster, and at least one needs to be moved eventually. Waiting until the deadline can allow them to assess what they have in Clingan and boost Williams' trade value if he can prove he's healthy and consistently able to stay on the court.
Then, the Blazers can decide what to do with Ayton based on those factors, how he plays in his second season in Portland, and his trade value around the league at that point.
2. Can Simons, Sharpe, and Henderson all share the backcourt?
The Blazers haven't had much opportunity to see how these three guards play together. Portland had high expectations for rising star Shaedon Sharpe entering his sophomore campaign, but he was limited to just 32 games after undergoing surgery for a core muscle injury. Sharpe and Scoot Henderson only played 13 games together last season, and Scoot wasn't nearly as efficient during that stretch as he was still adjusting to the NBA competition and pace of play as a rookie.
If the Blazers don't move Simons before training camp, they should reevaluate how effectively all three guards have played with one another. Defensively, the Blazers' backcourt will be a liability if all three stay on the roster. Their frontcourt of defensive-minded players, including Clingan, Williams, Toumani Camara, and Matisse Thybulle, will help compensate. Still, it's a matter of how much their help defense can really make an impact if they still have multiple defensive liabilities in the backcourt.
The Blazers seem set on making Henderson and Sharpe the focal points of their rebuild, and rightfully so. But if Simons hinders their progression, Portland should heavily pursue trades for him at the deadline.
3. Is Portland's roster bad enough to secure highest draft lottery odds?
ESPN recently released predictions for every NBA team's record next season. The Blazers were last in the Western Conference (subscription required), similar to last season, with a 22-60 record this time around. Barring a significant trade involving someone like Simons or Grant, this record seems reasonable.
Meanwhile, Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey predicts the Blazers will finish the 2024-25 season with an atrocious 15-67 record, the worst record in his predictions. It's almost disrespectful after the Blazers finished six wins higher last season. But Bailey seems to be accounting for any future trades leading up to the 2025 deadline, saying: "While there are a few veterans like Deandre Ayton, Jerami Grant, and Anfernee Simons who could push Portland away from the league's best lottery odds, trades of any or all of them before February's deadline could be on the table."
Bailey also introduces his prediction by saying, "with apologies to Portland Trail Blazers fans," but this is precisely the type of finish Blazers fans should want. The Blazers must finish with a bottom-three record to secure the 14 percent chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick, which, in all likelihood, will be Duke forward Cooper Flagg.
If the Blazers are closer to ESPN's projected record rather than Bleacher Report's, they should seriously consider trading away a significant player to hinder their record and improve their lottery odds. Especially given how stacked the 2025 draft class is expected to be.