This past season, the Portland Trail Blazers finished at the bottom of the association in three-point accuracy, connecting on only 34.4 percent of their attempts. They also lost one of their best shooters, Malcolm Brogdon, who shot 41.2 from beyond the arc. But there’s still some reason for optimism that the Blazers will improve their shooting in the 2024-25 season.
Newly acquired Deni Avdija had a significant leap in his three-point shooting, going from 29.7 percent in 2022-23 to 37.4 percent last season with the Wizards. The Blazers’ up-and-coming players, specifically Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe, could also have breakout shooting seasons. Still, Portland has a long way to go before shooting becomes a team strength rather than a glaring weakness, which is more problematic in the modern NBA that emphasizes floor spacing now than ever.
- Miles McBride, New York Knicks
Miles McBride is turning out to be a second-round gem, selected No. 36 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft. He had a third-year breakout season with the Knicks, increasing his averages to 8.3 points, 1.7 assists, and 1.5 rebounds in just 19.5 minutes per game. The most impressive aspect of McBride’s improved season was his three-point shooting, going from 29.9 percent all the way to 41 percent from beyond the arc. He’s due to regress in that department, but McBride remains a solid trade option for the Blazers to pursue.
After losing Isaiah Hartenstein to the Thunder in free agency, the Knicks need another center, especially given Mitchell Robinson’s injury history. A Robert Williams III for McBride trade swap might be a good starting point in trade negotiations for both teams.
- Kevin Huerter, Sacramento Kings
Kevin Huerter is the oldest shooter on this list at 25 but still fits in very well with the Trail Blazers’ rebuilding timeline. This past year, he had a relatively down season in Sacramento – his scoring dipped from 15.2 to 10.2 points per game. His three-point shooting also went from 40.2 to 36.1 percent, the lowest in Huerter’s six-year career.
The Blazers could buy low on Huerter’s down season, and the Kings appear open to moving him. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, “Rival NBA executives who spoke with HoopsHype expect Kevin Huerter to be available again on the trade market this summer.”
Huerter would be a perfect addition to the Blazers’ second unit in particular. His strength as a shooter and weakness as a defender would fit in incredibly well in a potential bench lineup of:
PG: Scoot Henderson
SG: Kevin Huerter
SF: Matisse Thybulle
PF: Toumani Camara
C: Donovan Clingan
Scoot can do the heavy lifting in terms of initiating the offense. Still, no one in their current bench unit is a very reliable shooter (to Thybulle’s credit, he’s improved to becoming around a league-average shooter at this point in his career). That lineup could change depending on what Portland would give up to acquire Huerter. But the 6-foot-7 guard is an intriguing fit for the Blazers’ roster that needs shooting and positional size.
- Jordan Hawkins, New Orleans Pelicans
Like the Knicks, the New Orleans Pelicans are another team that needs a center after Jonas Valanciunas unexpectedly signed with the rebuilding Wizards in free agency. Currently, the Pelicans have Baylor rookie Yves Missi as their projected starting center, who many deemed a raw and developmental-type prospect entering the draft. That isn’t good enough for a team with playoff aspirations in the competitive Western Conference.
New Orleans needs a center upgrade and could be interested in either Deandre Ayton or RW3. The Pelicans have multiple two-way wings that the Blazers should inquire about, such as Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones. But their asking prices may be too steep. If that’s the case, Jordan Hawkins is someone Portland should strongly consider targeting. Why not add another UConn player with an NCAA national championship on their resume?
Coming out of college, Hawkins was known as a sharpshooting guard, and that perception of him has stayed the same since he entered the league as the No. 14 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. But his NBA stock has decreased after a poor Summer League outing this offseason – Hawkins had 13 points a game but on an inefficient 28.5 field goal and 25 three-point percentage, to go along with only ten assists and 19 turnovers. Now might be the perfect time for the Blazers to take a low-risk flier on Hawkins, as they could likely acquire him for relatively cheap.
- Gradey Dick, Toronto Raptors
Another sharpshooter taken right before Jordan Hawkins in the 2023 NBA Draft is Gradey Dick out of Kansas. He’s athletic, has excellent positional size for a guard at 6-foot-6, and shoots the ball exceptionally well. He had a decent rookie season with the Raptors, averaging 8.5 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists on 43/37/86 shooting splits.
Dick would provide that same length and shooting as previously mentioned with Kevin Huerter but with more upside and room to grow at only 20 years old. If he continues to progress into a starting caliber player, Portland could eventually even flirt with the idea of a smaller lineup at positions one through four between Henderson, Dick, Sharpe, and Avdija, with Donovan Clingan anchoring the middle and compensating for any defensive weaknesses.
With the Raptors trading the Knicks for Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett last season, they are keen on retooling their roster around Scottie Barnes rather than rebuilding it from the ground up. The Blazers have multiple trade assets around the same age as Toronto’s retooling core, such as Anfernee Simons, Ayton, RW3, and Thybulle, making them ideal potential trade partners.
- Moses Moody, Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors may not be done with offseason moves as they attempt to return to the playoffs in the 2024-25 season after falling short last season. Straddling the line between the two timelines and trying to extend their historic dynasty run has backfired. They don’t have enough pieces to contend for a championship, and Steph Curry (36) and Draymond Green’s (34) windows are closing in.
The Warriors should take a firm stance and go all-in on one timeline. To a certain extent, it’s reminiscent of the Blazers’ situation with Damian Lillard. Although the Warriors have multiple championships to show for it, which could make them more content to let Curry ride off into the sunset as a Warrior. If that’s the case, the Blazers should target some of the Warriors’ younger talent, including Moses Moody.
Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale had an article about realistic NBA offseason trades that can still happen. In the piece, Favale proposes that the Blazers acquire Moody and Reggie Jackson in a three-team deal, giving up Robert Williams III, Rayan Rupert, and a 2028 second-round pick. That seems like too many assets to give up. The Blazers would be selling low on RW3 and Rupert, a promising two-way player who Portland should continue developing. But if the Blazers could get the asking price down from what Favale proposed, they should consider pursuing Moody.
Discussion about this post