In 2022, the Portland Trail Blazers were extremely active leading up to the trade deadline. That could also be the case this year as they continue to tweak their roster early on in their rebuild. Hopefully, this time around, they will learn from their past mistakes.
The Blazers' blockbuster move in 2022 was sending CJ McCollum to the New Orleans Pelicans. Here was that deal in its entirety:
*New Orleans also sent Portland a protected first-round pick and two second-round picks in the deal.
That trade made sense as it was clear that, despite their regular season success, the Lillard-McCollum backcourt pairing wasn't going to win a championship. Portland retooled its roster around Lillard while also gaining more financial flexibility to sign Anfernee Simons to an extension.
The Blazers also acquired an extremely underrated player in Nickeil Alexander-Walker. However, that's where they went wrong. One day later, Portland flipped Alexander-Walker to the Utah Jazz as part of a three-team deal that included the San Antonio Spurs.
Blazers should regret trading away Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Here was Portland's subsequent deal:
At the time, Joe Ingles was injured, meaning the primary appeal for acquiring him was that he was on an expiring contract. The Blazers were supposed to do everything they could to surround Damian Lillard with more talent to maximize his window, yet they willingly lost a valuable asset in NAW.
Alexander-Walker played 50 games with New Orleans in the 2021-22 before the trade. In that span, he was already making an impact at 12.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in just his third season. Portland had a gem on its hands and proceeded to flip him for essentially nothing.
This year, the trade is looking even worse, as NAW has emerged as a key contributor for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He's shooting a career-best 44.4 percent from beyond the arc and has become a valuable 3-and-D guard who can also provide a bit of playmaking when needed.
Defensively, his 6-foot-5 frame and ability to guard multiple positions would have been invaluable for Rip City, especially since most of their defensive-minded players are in the frontcourt. Offensively, Portland desperately needs more shooting and playmaking as they rank towards the bottom in several key categories (three-point percentage, assists, turnovers, etc.).
Alexander-Walker would have seamlessly fit alongside the Blazers' rebuilding core. Their decision to eagerly part ways with him is looking worse by the day.