ESPN GIVES BLAZERS FAVORABLE OFFSEASON GRADE

The Portland Trail Blazers have had a quieter offseason than the previous one.

After being the talk of the NBA all offseason long last summer with Damian Lillard trade rumors, the Blazers have fallen back into the shadows this year.

With nearly every roster spot filled before free agency, the Blazers had no wiggle room to make many moves, trading for Deni Avdija and drafting Donovan Clingan on draft night.

Those moves have prompted ESPN writer Kevin Pelton to give the Blazers a “B-” for their offseason efforts thus far.

With a full roster, the Blazers haven’t made a notable move since an active first night of the draft. Portland sent the No. 14 pick, a future first-rounder and Malcolm Brogdon to the Wizards for Deni Avdija, then took Donovan Clingan after the UConn center slid to No. 7.

Giving up more than two first-round picks in value was a lot for Avdija, who must maintain or beat last season’s 37% 3-point shooting to fit well alongside the Blazers’ young guards. But Avdija and Clingan, who averaged 4.3 blocks during the NBA summer league, should help a porous defense.

The Blazers can still make some noise this summer with a few veterans still on the roster that could garner some trade interest, but for now, Portland should simply be focused on making the current young players on the roster better no matter what it takes.

If that includes making more trades, get the phones going. If that involves more workouts, get in the gym.

There’s not much the Blazers can do given their current setup, so individual improvement should be at the forefront.

2024-07-26T22:15:42Z dg43tfdfdgfd