Blazers GM Joe Cronin Explains Decision to Sit Out Trade Deadline

The Portland Trail Blazers shocked most of the NBA world when they decided to fully stand pat at the NBA trade deadline. Many around the league believed that Portland would be a very active team, likely being a seller with all the veterans on the roster.

But the Trail Blazers decided to sit this deadline out and not make any moves. It was a curious decision and one that many found to be very interesting.

Portland general manager Joe Cronin weighed in on this fact and explained the reasoning behind it all.

“We know a lot of fans, and probably a lot of people in here, prefer a little bit of action,” Cronin said Thursday before the Blazers hosted the Sacramento Kings at the Moda Center. “Often, we do too. We’re always looking for ways to participate in these windows and find guys who can help us be better. But this time around, we just didn’t find the value. So, we decided to pass.”

Despite the team not making any moves, Cronin did reveal that the team was close on a few trades. Portland has been playing much better basketball of late and that may have factored into the decision to not pull the trigger on any deals.

The Trail Blazers have won 10 of 11 games and currently have the longest winning streak in the NBA. Portland has been battling and it has been a great sight for head coach Chauncey Billups to see take place.

“I love what we have,” he said. “I love what we’ve been working on. I love how we’re developing. Right now, we’re learning a lot about each other. It’s been a lot of fun.”

Portland could still be very active this summer as the team will address more needs. Cronin seemed to hint that the trade market was a little tight and that it could loosen up down the line.

“I think that definitely tightened up in this transaction cycle,” Cronin said. “So, it’ll be interesting to see if that continues to be tighter or if that loosens up a little bit.”

For now, Portland will go forward with the team in place as they try to make an unlikely push toward the playoffs. This team is only a few games out of the Play-In tournament so we can't fully count them out at this point.

More Trail Blazers:

Blazers Go Silent at Trade Deadline, Was This Correct Move?

Blazers Emerge as Big Winners in Blockbuster Bucks-Wizards Trade

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