The Portland Path Blazers entered the 2025 NBA offseason trying to shift their focus to their younger core. The Path Blazers moved on from Deandre Ayton and despatched Anfernee Simons away to clear minutes for Donovan Clingan and Scoot Henderson. Nevertheless, Robert Williams III and Jerami Grant will proceed to steal minutes from Shaedon Sharpe and Yang Hansen.
Because the common season went on, Portland head coach Chauncey Billups started to present his younger gamers extra burn. Clingan grew into his personal earlier than his very eyes and can seemingly be the beginning middle in entrance of Williams III subsequent season. Nevertheless, the truth that Grant and Jrue Vacation are on the roster sends differing messages. Are the Path Blazers making an attempt to compete or tank?
Vacation was re-acquired in a transfer that was extra of a wage dump by the Boston Celtics than the rest. He failed his bodily, leading to Portland taking again the draft picks they traded away for him. If he begins the 12 months as the place to begin guard, Henderson’s improvement might be much more stunted.
Regardless of that, Grant and Williams III are the 2 largest issues. Each Path Blazers might have been moved earlier this offseason, however it’s too late for his or her bigger contracts to be moved simply. Grant had a market, however his contract is so massive that the record of groups in a position to commerce for him was not so long as the groups that might have been thinking about including him.
Whereas the workforce’s path is evident, their execution is questionable. Portland simply noticed a division rival, the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder, experience their rebuild right into a championship. It’s doable to construct by the draft and make good trades, however the Path Blazers should be a bit extra assertive.
Why the Path Blazers ought to have traded Grant and Williams III
Williams III has another 12 months on the four-year, $48 million contract the Boston Celtics gave him in 2022. His expiring contract will likely be one to observe at this 12 months’s commerce deadline. If he can keep on the ground, he’s a comparatively low cost possibility at middle for contenders. Nevertheless, Williams III’s harm historical past is prolonged and he can’t be trusted to remain on the ground.
Grant presents a really comparable downside, with one key distinction. The ahead has not performed in additional than 63 video games in a season since 2019-20. Grant was shut down with harm final season after showing in simply 47 video games. He’s within the third 12 months of a five-year, $160 million contract he signed in 2023. At this level he’s nearly assured to select up the participant possibility within the final 12 months.
Whereas Grant’s contract is likely one of the worst within the NBA, the reasoning behind it’s sturdy. On the time, Portland was making an attempt every part it might to retain Damian Lillard. Nevertheless, the franchise legend requested a commerce after Grant signed his deal. The Path Blazers have been left with an outsized contract for a participant who isn’t of their long-term plans.
Each of those gamers might discover new houses later this summer time or on the commerce deadline. Nevertheless, making such offers is simpler within the early a part of the offseason amid the chaos of free company. Now, Portland should work more durable to persuade different groups to make trades with them. On the finish of the day, the Path Blazers’ indecision shot them within the foot.
Williams III will come off the bench subsequent season. Nevertheless, Grant’s expertise and is contract are an excessive amount of to justify a bench function.
The place do the Path Blazers go from right here?
The Path Blazers had the precise concept within the second half of the season. Sharpe started to indicate flashes of the scorer he might turn out to be down the again stretch. He and Henderson symbolize the way forward for Portland’s perimeter, together with Camara. If Clingan continues on his present trajectory, he might be the following nice defensive anchor within the league.
Billups has loads of intriguing younger expertise to work with. Hansen was one of many largest reaches through the NBA Draft, however his ball expertise make for a captivating improvement problem. If he hits, the Blazers have six strong younger items that may develop collectively. The Thunder proved {that a} technique like that may work if the workforce has the precise tradition.
Vacation and Grant are the veterans that may assist maintain the workforce collectively, even when they’re overpaid. Their roles on the workforce are much like what Khris Middleton, CJ McCollum, and Marcus Sensible are to the Washington Wizards. If each groups have their approach, the veterans will assist their younger counterparts acclimate to the league after which fetch their workforce future belongings in commerce.
Sadly, their contracts hamstring the Path Blazers till they’re both off the workforce or expire. With the Western Convention as aggressive as it’s, perhaps letting the contracts play out isn’t such a nasty concept. If their younger gamers proceed to develop, Portland might sic them on the league surrounded by premier function gamers in a few seasons.
No matter what occurs, not shifting Williams III and Grant is the most important mistake of the Path Blazers’ offseason thus far.