Grading the Blazers' Offseason So Far: What Works and What Doesn't

The Portland Trail Blazers have had a very dynamic offseason with a lot of changes, both positive and negative, that can affect them on the court for next season.

The Blazers have a new head coach in Micah Nori, an upgraded point guard rotation with Ja Morant, and an ongoing quest to keep the team in Portland for the foreseeable future. It's definitely been a busy offseason, but it's hard to tell if it's actually been a net-positive or not.

The Pros: Potential HC, PG Upgrades

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant reacts after getting called for a foul. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Blazers surprisingly did not hire Tiago Splitter as their permanent head coach, despite his success in his long season in Portland. Splitter took over for Chauncey Billups after the first game of the season and was able to lead the Blazers to their first playoff berth since 2021.

Splitter was dealt an unfavorable hand, but he made the most out of it. He was able to find a rhythm with his roster, and several players endorsed Splitter as someone who should be taking over. That's not what the front office decided. Splitter ultimately was not their final candidate, and he ended up taking a job with the Chicago Bulls instead.

To replace Splitter, the Blazers settled on Nori, who has spent the last five seasons under Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch as his primary assistant. Nori has a strong offensive philosophy that should mesh well with the Blazers, who have several players that can erupt for 30 points every night.

Nori has a tough task, but it's a good problem to have as he parses between Damian Lillard, Deni Avdija and the newly acquired Morant as to who will be the primary focal point in the offense.

The trade for Morant is easily the most exciting part of Portland's offseason so far. Trading for him suggests that the Blazers are committed to winning with this group. It may have come under controversial circumstances, but the Blazers still want to put out a winning product. They hope Morant can be part of that after qualifying for the playoffs four times in his seven years with the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Cons: Tom Dundon's Greed (Both On and Off the Court)

Tom Dundon is introduced during the first half during a game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the New Orleans Pelicans. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Part of what made the deal so controversial is that Morant's value had dipped so much that Memphis had to pay part of Morant's salary in order to get the deal done. The Blazers took Morant when his value was at his lowest, which aligns with new owner Tom Dundon's conservative spending strategies.

Dundon wants to win, just like he did in the NHL with the Carolina Hurricanes earlier this summer, but he isn't willing to dip too much into his net worth in order to make it happen. We saw that also with the claiming of Micah Potter off waivers, someone who is on a non-guaranteed contract.

The team also signed former first-round pick Jeremy Sochan, who won a championship with the New York Knicks, as part of the team's offseason spending.

The Blazers also went in a completely unorthodox way in hiring Nori, giving him only one year of guarantees on his contract, with team options for the next two years. It was surprising for many in the coaching world, and it sparked a lot of negative feedback. It all aligns with the consistency that Dundon has used since taking full control of the team in March.

The dark cloud that has hovered over the Blazers during the summer is the pursuit of a new arena deal, which Dundon has shown a lack of interest in pursuing. Dundon does not want to pay for any of the renovation plans, hoping that the Oregon State Legislature and local governments will foot the entirety of the bill. Perhaps Dundon will bend during negotiations, but history has suggested that it will be a stingy negotiation process.

The Verdict

Damian Lillard attends the game between the Portland Fire and the Las Vegas Aces. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's hard not to let the negatives of the offseason affect the Blazers as a whole, but the reality of the situation is that the team is better than it was at the end of last season.

With Morant and Lillard returning from injury, along with a spry new coach in Nori, there is a lot of reason for optimism in Portland going into the season. The team hasn't lost anyone of significance, making them a threat to return to the playoffs in 2027.

There could be some decisions that were made during the offseason that could affect Portland down the line. Overall, the Blazers should be happy about where the team is and their chances of getting better.

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