3 Reasons why no move may be the right move for the Trail Blazers at the trade deadline
3. The young guns still aren't ready for the big stage
Yes, Henderson has improved since the beginning of the season. But he's still an inefficient shooter and turns the ball over too much. Despite his athleticism, explosion and strength, for some reason, he still has trouble finishing at the rim. Sometimes he looks in control of the offense, sometimes he looks like he doesn't know where to go with the ball or what to do.
Certain aspects of Sharpe's development compare favorably to Jayson Tatum at this stage of his career. But he averaged 37 minutes and 15 shot attempts while Simons was out - too many for a 20-year-old who went straight from high school to the NBA - and has been injured for all but six of the Trail Blazers' last 18 games.
During those six games, Shaedon scored 12.3 points per with shooting splits of 38/20/82. He could use some more developmental time and less "we need you to score to win games" time.
Toumani Camara was a pleasant surprise to begin the season. He eventually earned a spot in Billups' starting lineup, but his play stagnated and he's since been relegated back to the bench in favor of Walker. Reath is playing well, but his 18-minute-per-game average is a bit too high for someone who's played a total of 32 NBA games.
Keeping Brogdon around would be a huge sigh of relief for Henderson and Sharpe and to an extent, Simons. Having Grant around as the primary offensive option at times would take even more off that trio's shoulders. Even having Matisse Thybulle available as a bench option gives Billups a veteran who can play minutes at guard or on the wing.
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The players that need to be developing are getting better. But that doesn't mean it's time to throw them in the fire and let them play 40 minutes a night with no safety net.
It might be boring, but staying quiet at this year's trade deadline may be the best option for Portland's future.