ReGrade the Trade: Trail Blazers' shrewd move adds more assets in Damian Lillard deal

Regrading the Holiday trade

It's not easy to separate this deal from the Lillard deal; they're two pieces of the same puzzle, and combined, they earn Cronin an "A". But ignoring the Dame return and simply examining this move as if the Blazers had Holiday all along and traded him to Boston, it's easier to pick the move apart one asset at a time.

The snap judgment on acquiring Brogdon was that he was another veteran guard who would be shipped out in a much smaller part three of this deal. Shortly after the trade was made official, though, Cronin said he had no intention of moving the 31-year-old before the season. He valued his leadership and intelligence on a young team.

Brogdon hasn't played since the all-star break. He has a fairly long injury history and he developed some issues in his elbow in mid-February. If Portland was competing for a postseason spot, there's a good chance last season's Sixth Man of the Year would be back on the court. But the Blazers aren't so he isn't.

Still, he was a critical part of Scoot Henderson's development in multiple ways and was useful when he was on the floor, averaging 15.7 points and 5.5 assists while shooting 41.2 percent from three.

Williams, who has a much longer injury history, has been a complete non-factor. Even though the Trail Blazers held the 26-year-old out of every other game to avoid another major injury, it only took six games for Time Lord to tear ligaments in his knee and require season-ending surgery.

The 2029 Celtics pick holds legitimate value. Holiday will be retired by then, Kristaps Porzingis will likely be on a beach somewhere with him, and who knows where Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will be at ages 31 and 32, respectively. And the Warriors' down season has been a pleasant surprise for Portland, which will likely end up with a second lottery pick this summer.

Additionally, there's still a likelihood that Brogdon and Williams will be traded at some point. Malcolm was reportedly worth a protected first-round pick at this year's trade deadline, and there was rumored interest from the Houston Rockets in Williams, who may be worth at least a pair of second-round selections.

This trade is still incomplete. Both players the Blazers received will be moved on for more assets at some point. What Cronin decides to do with a late lottery pick is still to be determined. And what value Portland gets from an unprotected Celtics' pick five years from now will remain a mystery for a while. But all that factors into the grade the Trail Blazers deserve for the Holiday deal.

Blazers trade grade: B