Why Trail Blazers Could Have One of the Most Interesting Summers in the NBA

Portland is primed to make some big personnel decisions this offseason.

Nov 27, 2023; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) shoots the ball while Portland Trail Blazers guard Matisse Thybulle (4) and guard Malcolm Brogdon (11) defend in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports | Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

As Portland Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin looks to prioritize his younger pieces this summer (his stated plan), it seems a necessary fallout of that approach will be the offloading of several tradable veterans. Bobby Marks of ESPN opines that the Trail Blazers will thus become one of the more under-the-radar interesting clubs to watch this summer.

Marks notes that Cronin will look to feature young players like 2023 No. 3 draft pick Scoot Henderson, 2022 No. 7 draft pick Shaedon Sharpe, Kris Murray, Toumani Camara, and Jabari Walker, plus his impending four draft selections this year (including the Nos. 7 and 14 picks in the lottery) in his team planning, and that will likely come at the expense of some of the team's more expensive players. At present, the Trail Blazers are in the luxury tax already, and $1.3 million into the NBA's first, less punitive salary cap apron.

Several intriguing vets are currently clogging up rotation minutes and cap space. Marks believes that any and all of Malcolm Brogdon, Jerami Grant, Matisse Thybulle, Robert Williams III, and even still-young players like guard Anfernee Simons and center Deandre Ayton could all be on the move.

It ultimately doesn't make much sense for Cronin to stay in the luxury tax with a roster that won him all of 21 games last season, so some of these guys absolutely should be on the move this summer. Simons, at 24, and Ayton, at 25, seem to both mesh best with the team's younger pieces. But they could also help the club net some serious future draft assets in the future. It's worth listening to all proposal this offseason.

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