The 2023-24 season was one marked by rebuilding for the Portland Trail Blazers. After the inevitable departure of Damian Lillard last summer, an era officially drew to an end and Portland began to put together the building blocks that will eventually shape their future.
There were plenty of reasons to be unhappy with how things ended up unfolding Re: Dame, but the fact of the matter was the Blazers were not going to win a championship with him as the best player on the roster. Fresh blood was needed, and Portland already has pieces in place that can be part of their next playoff run.
Certainly, legitimate reasons exist to be concerned with General Manager Joe Cronin's process. But at the end of the day, the decisions he makes will determine if this franchise does ultimately return to the postseason in the near future, or if they head down the wrong path entirely.
Recently, Bleacher Report crafted a proposed trade for each team in this year's lottery. Their imagined deal for the Trail Blazers involves Portland sending the coveted Jerami Grant over to Memphis, with the Grizzlies sending back Luke Kennard, Brandon Clarke and a "lightly protected" first-round pick.
This trade would accelerate Portland's rebuild
Whoever crafted this trade must want to help out the Blazers, because this would be a total heist for Joe Cronin and the front office. Jerami Grant is an extremely solid starter-level player that can give you good wing production night in and night out. That said, he is in no way a game-changing level talent and he will not be the difference between Portland being a good team and a great one.
Getting two starting-level players back in return in addition to a first-rounder? The Trail Blazers should be signing on the dotted line as quickly as possible. The protections on the pick would likely not matter since there is virtually zero chance Memphis falls completely flat again next season with Ja Morant presumably back and healthy.
As for the players, there is so much to like about both Kennard and Clarke. Luke will give you lights-out shooting in virtually any lineup, and his overall scoring prowess would make him a great floor-raiser for Portland's offense. Brandon's high motor and rebounding ability would replace much of Grant's production on the interior and give the Blazers another key rotational player.
Jerami Grant is among the most sought after of Portland's pieces. This is the kind of trade you make when you have a solid player that is a bit overvalued in the eyes of executives around the league. Turning him into two useful veterans along with an additional pick would be a massive win for the Trail Blazers.