The Portland Trail Blazers enter this offseason with tremendous roster flexibility. While many expect them to be buyers and go star hunting in their first offseason under aggressive new owner, Tom Dundon, it wouldn't be surprising if Portland took its roster in the other direction and continued to prioritize its long-term outlook.
"I'm probably more aggressive than most," Dundon said at his introductory press conference. "If [the right trade] doesn't exist, then you've got to go about finding the pieces to continue to get better, and then decide if you can do good enough to win a championship or you have to take a step back. Joe [Cronin] and I have talked about this a lot. There's no one way this is going to go for sure."
One way or another, it's clear the Blazers will be active this summer. Regardless of what direction they take the roster, it's safe to say that Jerami Grant should be considered on thin ice in his hometown of Portland, Oregon.
Jerami Grant is on thin ice in Portland
The exciting but risky pursuit of a star means Portland will likely have to include one of Grant or Jrue Holiday as a salary filler, with each making over $30 million annually. In that scenario, keeping Holiday around makes much more sense as they have an increased sense of urgency to win immediately after sacrificing part of their future.
Alternatively, Portland's front office could conclude that a conservative approach is better, as they may not be just one missing star away from contending with the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference playoff picture. Even in that scenario, it's in their best long-term interest to move Grant sooner rather than later.
One downside of Deni Avdija's rapid star ascension is that he's now massively outplaying his team-friendly, frontloaded contract. Portland needs to renegotiate his contract to extend off that new figure. Moving Grant would make that financially complex situation much more straightforward.
It remains to be seen what the trade interest in Grant is around the league, if any. He could very well still be considered a negative asset. But Portland needs to capitalize on his resurgent season to finally dump him. Grant hasn't fit into this rebuilding roster since the second he signed his $160 million deal in 2023. GM Joe Cronin has held on to the expensive forward for far too long, but finally has a chance to fix that mistake once and for all.
No matter which way this offseason plays out, Portland has plenty of incentive to trade Grant this summer.
