Blazers' Current Season Trajectory Sets Them Up For Massive Failure Down the Line

Is Portland making a massive error this year?

Dec 28, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) runs into a double team defense by Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton (2) and forward Jerami Grant (9) during the first half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Are the Portland Trail Blazers making a massive error this year?

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That's the overarching thesis of John Hollinger of The Athletic, who posits that the Trail Blazers' reticence to part with several of their extant veteran players — many of whom are at least fairly appetizing trade chips — could prove brutally costly to their long-term success.

Portland has a 13-24 record on the 2024-25 season so far, pretty poor to be fair but also good for just the seventh-worst record in the league.

That means the Trail Blazers will have lackluster odds of nabbing the top overall pick in the forthcoming 2025 NBA Draft.

Hollinger does add a caveat that the team did offload the expiring contract of former 2023 Sixth Man of the Year point guard Malcolm Brogdon this past summer, although the club has been sitting on several other movable veteran contracts.

"Despite being in the early stages of a clear rebuild situation, Portland employs several tradeable veterans but hasn’t moved on from any of them, with the exception of including Malcolm Brogdon as a matching salary in the Deni Avdija deal," writes Hollinger.

Ultimately, Hollinger suggests, the team may be unwisely committed to holding onto tuned-out vets like center Deandre Ayton, power forward Jerami Grant, All-Defensive Team center Robert Williams III, All-Defensive Team shooting guard/small forward Matisse Thybulle, and potentially even starting point guard Anfernee Simons.

“The net effect of those veterans has been to leave the Blazers just competent enough to halve their odds of winning the draft lottery, while first-round pick Donovan Clingan plays 15.8 minutes a night and spends the rest of his evening watching Ayton sort-of try,” Hollinger observes.

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When he has played, this past summer's No. 7 overall draft pick out of UConn has been impressive, especially as a defender.

The 7-foot-2 big man is averaging 5.6 points on 52.8 percent shooting from the floor and 71.9 percent shooting from the foul line, 6.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks across 16.1 minutes a night.

He's only a 31.6 percent 3-point shooter on 0.7 triple tries a night. But heck, he cant still nail a wide-open triple.

More Trail Blazers:

Blazers' Timeline to Trade Deandre Ayton Reportedly Revealed

Blazers' Donovan Clingan Misses Out on December Rookie of the Month Honors

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