it wouldn't make sense to anybody....that's why nobody is saying just trade them for nothing; at least nobody that I've seen. The ideas are centered around the value of increasing draft assets (both trade additions & their own) and/or adding younger prospects. Trading veteran talent for bad/expiring contracts is a proven method of leveraging draft assets and taking flyers on young prospects
sure, the Blazers can go with your "what's the point" trade philosophy and trot out a starting lineup of Ant-Brogdon-Grant-Walker-Ayton for the next couple of years. They might even get into the race for the last play-in spot that way (next year). But all it would do, really, is just make their own draft picks worse
Brogdon is 31; Grant turns 30 a month after the trade deadline. Their trade value won't go up after the deadline, only down.
I've been thinking about this issue of trading Grant and Brogdon and its impact on the rebuild. While I understand that the prevailing opinion of many around here is that both should be traded to get more draft picks, I think it ultimately will come down to how the Blazers feel about the quality of their existing pool of young talent, what pieces they feel are missing, how they evaluate the picks they currently have stockpiled, and whether the best way to address the needs is through the draft or through trades and/or free agency.
On the young talent side, they have Scoot (PG), Sharpe (SG), Ant (Combo G), Camara (SF), Rupert (SF), Murray (SF/PF), Walker (PF), and Ayton (C). Brown (C), Reath, and Badji could be keepers as well. To me, it looks like they have the guard situation pretty much in hand with potential All-Stars in Sharpe and Ant, and hopefully Scoot. Although I love what he's done for the team, I think Brogdon can be traded for other assets with minimal impact on the team's future. At SF, Camara has been much better than we had any right to expect, but he's a work in progress at the offensive end. Rupert is a project and it's too soon to know what he will develop into. Keeping Grant to play both SF and PF gives the Blazers the ability to compete. The question is at how high of a level? Thybulle is a really fun player on the defensive end and he's shown he can hit the 3 better than expected. Jabari has been developing great this season, but is he the long term answer at PF on a contender or better thought of as a talented backup? I tend to fall on the latter given his lack of size. That's the position that I think the Blazers are most lacking at. At center, Ayton has a ton of talent, but a somewhat suspect motor. I'm okay with giving him a year or two to gel with the team. I hope the Blazers will find a way to keep Reath. He's shown he can be a quality backup.
Per Rip City Project, the current stock of draft picks is:
- 2024 first round pick (own)*
- 2024 first-round pick via Golden State (top-4 protected)
- 2024 second-round pick (via Minnesota or Charlotte)
- 2024 second-round pick (via Atlanta)
- 2025 first-round pick (own)*
- 2025 second round pick via Atlanta (protected 41-59)
- 2026 first-round pick (own)*
- 2026 second-round pick via Memphis (protected 31-42)
- 2027 first-round pick (own)*
- 2028 first-round pick (own)*
- 2028 first-round pick swap via Milwaukee (Portland has the right to swap its 2028 first-round pick, protected for selections 15 to 30, if it has not conveyed a first-round pick to Chicago by 2027, for Milwaukee’s 2028 first-round pick)
- 2028 second-round pick via Golden State
- 2028 second-round pick (own)
- 2029 first-round pick via Milwaukee
- 2029 first-round pick via Boston
- 2029 first-round pick (own)
- 2030 first-round pick via Milwaukee (swap rights)
- 2030 first-round pick (own)
- 2030 second-round pick (own)
*Portland owes a lottery-protected first-round pick to the Chicago Bulls that’s protected through 2028.
The Blazers should be able to address acquiring a solid prospect or two in the next couple of years with the current stock of picks. I'm going to assume that this year's own pick will be top-5 in a relatively weak draft. I think that there's enough talent for there to be a good player with that pick. The Warriors' pick and the second rounders probably won't bring more than projects, but you never know. The 2025 draft looks to be one with more future star power, so next season is probably another tank year to ensure a good pick. Gaining another pick there would be great.
I don't want to see the Blazers tank beyond next season. I'd like to see them use Brogdon, Thybulle, and maybe Williams to acquire more picks. I don't see any need to throw Grant at more picks. I think that they have enough capital both now and in the future to build a very solid team. Will Sharpe and/or Scoot develop into the perennial All-Star caliber of players needed to be a true contender? Man I hope so. Will Camara develop into a starter to replace Grant in a couple of years? That would be sweet. Can the Blazers find a way to get a future star at PF? Is Ayton going to be enough at C? Lots of questions, but I don't see the need to drop into the lottery for multiple years to come.
