The Portland Trail Blazers finished the regular season with a record of 21-61 last year, putting them at the bottom of the Western Conference. Portland wasn’t overly competitive and it concluded with them entering another offseason searching for answers.
However, this time, they were prepared for the rebuild that they had entered. After trading away former star point guard Damian Lillard last season, Portland was able to pivot toward a much-needed rebuild that was years in the making.
This offseason has been all about planning for the future, with the Trail Blazers prioritizing younger players. Within this, Portland has been trying to build out the core that they want to move forward with.
They have multiple young players to build around but having strong depth is always a smart idea. A former first round pick of the Trail Blazers was recently just waived so there has been some thought to a potential reunion happening.
Forward Nassir Little was waived by the Phoenix Suns earlier this week, making him a free agent. Could there be a possibility of Little returning to Portland?
Portland traded Little last season in the Lillard trade and he spent the season with the Suns. He appeared in 45 games for Phoenix, averaging 3.4 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game. Little also shot 30.0 percent from beyond the 3-point line.
Little performed well while in Portland before the trade, spending his first four seasons in the NBA with the team. He could be a decent addition for the Trail Blazers, especially if they do end up making some trades before the season starts.
Portland has been linked with moving some veteran players this offseason and they still have a few on the roster to work with. Especially if they were to get rid of Jerami Grant, it would leave a hole in the lineup that Little could fill.
While he isn’t Grant, Little knows the Trail Blazers system well and could fit right in. In the 2021-22 season, Little averaged 9.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game.
He is essentially a bench player in the league but the Trail Blazers could use all the help that they can get. Signing Little likely wouldn’t cost very much for Portland but it could give both sides a way to reconnect.
Portland may be set on their roster right now but these things are always fluid. So, there is always a chance that we could see Little come back to the Trail Blazers.
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