The Portland Trail Blazers have multiple players that could potentially be made available for trade this offseason. As a team that should be focusing on its young duo of Scoot Henderson, 20, and Shaedon Sharpe, 21, it makes sense for Portland to seek draft capital in exchange for their established players who could be on the move. However, they should also prioritize adding role players to their roster to complement Henderson, Sharpe, and their draft prospects as they continue their rebuild.
- Ayo Dosunmu
Ayo Dosunmu averaged 12.2 points, 3.2 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.9 steals per game on efficient 50/40/81 shooting splits in his third season with the Chicago Bulls. He could have a high asking price as his role with the Bulls has increased to 29 minutes per game this season, and it’s unlikely Lonzo Ball will ever be able to regain his pre-injury form. But if the Bulls view Coby White as their foundational piece, perhaps they don’t view the two together as the backcourt of the future.
The Blazers have too many guards between Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, and Malcolm Brogdon. But at least one of Simons or Brogdon could be on the move this offseason, clearing up their log jam. Donsunmo, 24, would be an ideal role player in Portland’s rebuild. He could spell both Henderson and Sharpe with his combo guard skillset. As a two-way guard, he would provide them with much-needed shooting while also improving their defense and positional size at 6-foot-5.
- Tari Eason
The 23-year-old Tari Eason would be an ideal two-way player for the Blazers, who are in desperate need of a long-term answer at their forward position. Eason was selected No. 17 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft and is turning out to be a gem of a pick for the Rockets. In his second season, Eason averaged 9.8 points, seven rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.9 blocks on 46/36/64 shooting splits in only 21.8 minutes per game.
While the Blazers certainly could use more shooting, Eason is around league average at 36 percent and should only continue to improve. Despite his average shooting, Eason would be an excellent fit for the Blazers as a defensive-minded forward with a 6-foot-8 frame that fits into their rebuilding timeline.
Given his potential, it may take a lot to get Eason, but the Rockets seem interested in making more moves in an attempt to contend for the playoffs; this could make him more available in exchange for a win-now piece, which the Blazers can offer in Jerami Grant, Malcolm Brogdon, or even Anfernee Simons.
Eason would be a great role player as he can still contribute without needing the ball, complementing Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe well.
- John Collins
On the surface, John Collins’ $26.5 million salary isn’t ideal. He may be overpaid, but he’s also an under-the-radar player that Portland could use. Collins is still 26 years old and would fit nicely with the Blazers’ young core. Additionally, there are only two years left on his contract, compared to Jerami Grant’s four years.
It could be appealing for the Blazers to make a deal involving Grant and Collins (among other pieces that Portland would receive) to provide them with more financial flexibility, given the shorter duration of Collins’ contract. While Grant doesn’t make much sense for the rebuilding Utah Jazz, they could be an intriguing trade partner to explore a potential three-way deal.
Utah has a crowded frontcourt between Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, Taylor Hendricks, and Collins. They can afford to move off of Collins to balance their roster better and open up more playing time for Kessler and Hendricks. For Portland, Collins fills a need as a 6-foot-9 forward who shot 37 percent from three this season.
Not only would Collins’ strengths fit nicely with the Blazers’ offseason needs, but he’d also be cheap to acquire. The Jazz acquired Collins for only Rudy Gay and a second-round pick.
- Jalen Smith
Another undervalued player on a team with a crowded frontcourt is Indiana Pacers’ Jalen Smith. Their frontcourt may potentially shrink this offseason—Pascal Siakam is an unrestricted free agent, Obi Toppin is a restricted free agent, and Smith has a player option. However, the Pacers have good reason to bring back as much of their roster as possible after having a successful season capped off by an Eastern Conference Finals run.
Smith is a less athletic version of John Collins but is younger and, most importantly for the Blazers, cheaper. Portland is already in a financial crunch, so bringing on someone like Smith could be more reasonable.
Smith drastically improved as a shooter since entering the league, going from 23.5 percent from three as a rookie to 42.4 percent this season. He’s also someone that the Pacers could potentially be open to moving, especially if they wind up keeping Siakam and Toppin around.
While Smith wouldn’t be a starter for Portland, he would still fill a valuable role that they are currently missing as a stretch big who provides rebounding and rim protection. He’d also give Chauncey Billups more lineup flexibility because he can play both power forward and center, helping them match up with the wide range of lineups in the Western Conference.
- Kevin Huerter
Kevin Huerter is a starter for the Kings but should still be considered a role player, given that he only averaged 24.4 minutes per game. Huerter had a relatively down season, averaging 10.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game on 44/36/77 shooting splits. But he’s typically a much better shooter, connecting on 40.2 percent of his threes the previous season. He would significantly impact the Blazers’ roster with his shooting alone.
The only concern with adding Huerter into the mix would be their defensive concerns with a backcourt of Henderson, Sharpe, Huerter, and possibly still Simons. The Blazers could try to compensate for their weaknesses by adding lengthy two-way wings. Although limited defensively, Huerter also possesses great positional size as a 6-foot-7 guard; this addresses another need for Portland, as most of their guards are undersized.
The Kings are a team that just missed the playoffs and are looking to add an extra piece to their roster to get them over the hump. They could be an ideal match as a trade partner with Portland, who should be continuing their rebuild this offseason. Huerter could be a player for them to target in trade discussions, as well as their No. 13 overall pick in this year’s draft.
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