The Portland Trail Blazers had an almost entirely silent NBA trade deadline. They traded a top-55 protected second-round pick in 2027 for guard Delano Banton and cash. No Jerami Grant blockbuster. No Malcolm Brogdon deal.
A large chunk of Rip City fans aren't pleased. But they shouldn't rush to judgement.
Blazers GM Joe Cronin made the right move by making no moves at the NBA trade deadline
Apologies to Banton. Maybe he'll end up being a core piece of Portland's future. But it seems fair to bypass such a minor move for now.
The question fans will be asking is this: Why not move veterans like Brogdon and Grant to give more minutes to Scoot Henderson, Kris Murray, Rayan Rupert, Jabari Walker and other young players? They're the future of the organization; they need to play.
Sure, in theory that plan makes perfect sense. But it's not as straightforward as that.
Cronin did the right thing by making no moves at the deadline. (Again, sorry Delano.) Here's why.