The Portland Trail Blazers front office wants to see player growth above all else this season. Whether that's from 19-year-old rookie Scoot Henderson, 20-year-old sophomore Shaedon Sharpe or 25-year-old center Deandre Ayton, it's head coach Chauncey Billups' responsibility to improve from within.
With the franchise in the embryonic stages of a complete rebuild, general manager Joe Cronin isn't going to swing for the fences to acquire any veterans at this year's trade deadline - or during the offseason or at next year's trade deadline, for that matter. If anything, the Blazers will be shipping out vets with trade value in return for assets that will help continue to build for the future.
The Trail Blazers could trade Jerami Grant and/or Malcolm Brogdon
The two players who fit that mold best are Jerami Grant and Malcolm Brogdon. That pair has driven Portland to at least half of its six wins this season, perhaps more. They've formed the Trail Blazers' most consistent and productive duo.
It stands to reason, then, that both will be put on the market by February's trade deadline, with Brogdon being the most likely of the two to be dealt as Grant is only beginning a five-year, $160 million contract.
One recently proposed trade idea presents Cronin with an interesting proposition - what would it take to move Brogdon, or would it be a smarter move to simply keep him in Portland? Here's a potential deal to consider.