The Portland Trail Blazers should be in search of more wing depth after the injury to Vit Krejci, who suffered a lower left leg fracture in their win over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday.
Head coach Micah Nori said it will be two-way signing Chris Youngblood who fills in for Krejci's minutes. It could be another two-way steal like GM Joe Cronin has had in the past with Caleb Love and, most notably, Sidy Cissoko, who continues to take a huge leap this year. Or it could be a bad sign that Portland is less than ten games into the season and already has to resort to two-way signings for key rotational players.
It's likely a combination of the two -- Youngblood is outplaying his contract and returning value as a two-way player, but he still shouldn't be seeing consistent minutes on a team that's currently top of the Western Conference.
The Los Angeles Clippers present a potential solution to Portland's wing problems. They've won just one game so far this season and have a trio of veteran wings -- Derrick Jones Jr., Max Strus, and Rui Hachimura -- that all make sense as replacements for Krejci.
Royce O'Neale would be a valuable addition for Blazers bench
But if the Clippers' asking price is too high, another rebuilding team the Blazers should monitor is the Charlotte Hornets.
Veteran wing Royce O'Neale has struggled to start the season in Charlotte, averaging just 4.4 points and 18.0 minutes per game. Charlotte has already leaned into its rebuild with surprising offseason moves, most notably shipping star guard LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves. O'Neale, 33, would make sense for them to flip for future assets before February's deadline to continue heading in that rebuilding direction.
O'Neale has a reasonable two years, $21 million remaining on his contract. The Hornets likely wouldn't mind getting off of that, but it's also not anything to deter the Blazers from pulling the trigger given their contrasting timelines.
O'Neale has struggled with his shot in Charlotte, but Krejci wasn't providing reliable floor spacing for Portland either, as he's struggled to find his rhythm since coming over at the trade deadline last year from the Atlanta Hawks. Still, O'Neale is a versatile team defender who would fit well as the ninth or tenth option off the bench for Nori. He'd certainly be an upgrade over Youngblood, despite his promising start to the season.
And while the Clippers may offer better options, the Hornets may have the more realistic asking price. O'Neale should be considered expendable by Charlotte, but he would be a valuable pickup for Portland.
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