Blazers' Joe Cronin Gets Seal of Approval For $125 million Worth of Trades

The Portland Trail Blazers were not named one of the top 10 front offices in The Athletic's recent survey of NBA front offices on their peers. Portland was, however, received 1.5 nominations for management groups “on the rise."

The primary reason why Joe Cronin and Co. were given a high mark was because of the team's September 2023 Damian Lillard trade -- mainly, grabbing Toumani Camara from the Phoenix Suns along with taking on Deandre Ayton -- and the June 2024 Deni Avdija trade with the Washington Wizards that offloaded Malcolm Brogdon.

"The Trail Blazers are in a cycle of constant change. Earlier this year, [franchise owner Jody] Allen agreed to sell the team to an investment group headed by Tom Dundon, who owns the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. In October the FBI arrested their head coach, Chauncey Billups, as part of its gambling investigation," The Athletic's staff wrote.

"Amid the noise, the Blazers have developed players. They insisted upon a gem in the trade that sent Damian Lillard out of town a few years ago, when they got the Suns to include second-round pick Toumani Camara, who’s now one of the league’s best defenders. And the Deni Avdija trade could end up a franchise-changer with Avdija emerging as an All-Star candidate."

Trail Blazers Clear Winners of Damian Lillard and Deni Avdija Trades

The Lillard trade was the ultimate win for the Blazers when the 35-year-old was stretched and waived by the Milwaukee Bucks this summer. Milwaukee is paying for the years Portland didn't want to. That was a genius call to trade Lillard when they did, in hindsight.

As for the Avdija trade, Brogdon had a career-worst year in Washington, D.C., while Avdija has blossomed into the team's potential franchise pillar, one who gets cheap every year until 2028 free agency. Avdija can be turned around and traded for more value if that franchise pillar label ages poorly between now and then.

Making the right call on Avdija, whether it be investing in him and watching the team blossom with the former first-round pick serving as the team's alpha, and Cronin and Co. will have fully ascended.

They'd also probably get the top-10 votes they missed out on this time around.