Blazers Called Out for 'Curious and Confusing' Offseason

The Portland Trail Blazers haven't even made the play-in tournament once across the past four seasons. What's worse, Portland doesn't seem to have a no-brainer young superstar-in-training to show for any of its lottery opportunities in the subsequent four drafts.

This year's lottery pick was traded back into the mid-first round, when the Trail Blazers used the No. 16 pick on CBA center Yang Hansen, but we'll still count that as the team using a fourth straight lottery pick on a rookie in the same draft, since that selection was still offloaded to add a young first-round piece.

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Strangely, the Trail Blazers' recently extended team general manager Joe Cronin had a bizarre approach to some veterans this offseason. He bought out center Deandre Ayton, who had been on an expiring contract, rather than find a trade home for the former No. 1 overall draft pick.

Cronin then proceeded to trade 26-year-old combo guard Anfernee Simons, on an expiring deal, for 35-year-old veteran point guard Jrue Holiday. Cronin also signed another free agent 35-year-old point guard, former nine-time All-Star Damian Lillard.

The Athletic's Jason Quick gave Cronin a C grade in a new roundup of NBA summer moves.

"If this offseason was about intrigue and heartstrings, the Blazers would get an A. But when it comes to basketball moves, Portland’s summer was a curious and confusing exercise," Quick notes. "Signing an injured Damian Lillard healed fans’ wounded hearts. The surprise draft of Chinese center Yang Hansen at No. 16 has the look of a fun project, and the trade for aging Jrue Holiday and his $100-plus million contract is palatable if the Blazers were on the cusp of contending … but they are not. "

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"How Lillard fits into the Holiday-Scoot Henderson point guard rotation in 2026 is a big question, and so too is how soon Yang can contribute," Quick adds. "But no question is bigger than the one left by the trade of Anfernee Simons to Boston: Do the Blazers have enough shooting?"

Until Lillard returns, they likely do not. Still, 25-year-old forward Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara seems to tap into something special late into the year. Both players still have room to grow, and their development and the massive defensive upgrade Holiday (if he can stay healthy) represents over Simons may ultimately move this club squarely into... play-in tournament range, at least.

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For more news and notes on the Portland Trail Blazers, visit Portland Trail Blazers on SI.