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Apr 13, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA: Portland Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin (left) and Trail Blazers’ head coach Chauncey Billups field questions from the working press before Portland plays their last season game against Los Angeles Lakers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images

Blazers Called Out For Major Trade Decision

Originally posted on Portland Trail Blazers on SI
By Alex Kirschenbaum | Last updated Aug 10, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The Portland Trail Blazers have had something of an uneven summer.

Portland closed out the season fairly with a pretty strong finishing kicking, going 13-15 following the All-Star break.

With a newly dialed-in defense anchored by All-Defensive Second Team forward Toumani Camara and then-rookie center Donovan Clingan, and a reinvigorated offense led by forward Deni Avdija, the Trail Blazers showed serious signs of life going going forwrad.

Portland general manager Joe Cronin bought out 27-year-old starting center Deandre Ayton and traded 26-year-old scoring guard Anfernee Simons to the Boston Celtics for 35-year-old former All-Defensive Team guard Jrue Holiday. Cronin also inked free agent Damiian Lillard, also 35, to a three-year, $42 million deal.

The Trail Blazers selected rookie center Yang Hansen in the first round. The team's Ayton buyout cleared a path for young guns Clingan and Hansen to take on the lion's share of minutes at the five spot.

Still, the team has some veteran talent it could have offloaded to further round out its roster.

Portland Left Major Trade Assets on the Table

Rohan Brahmbhatt of ClutchPoints posits that Portland has erred significantly in not trading at least one of reserve center Robert Williams III or now-backup combo forward Jerami Grant, so far, this summer.

When Grant is right, he can be a pretty effective rotational piece. Last season, he peaked early, enjoying his most prolific night in just the Trail Blazers' second game.

Jerami Grant scored a season-high 34 points in Game 2 last year against the Pelicans, going 8/17 from three

He was hitting uncontested threes, contested threes, and even showed the ability to pump fake and drive

If we get this version of Jerami next year, look out

81 days. pic.twitter.com/dSMgpfM1Fv
— Blazers Lead (@BlazersLead) August 1, 2025

"Jerami Grant’s five-year, $160 million contract is one of the most polarizing in the league," Brahmbhatt writes. "By the time Dame was traded to Milwaukee, the Trail Blazers were already stuck with a bloated long-term contract for a player not aligned with their timeline."

Brahmbhatt suggests that the 31-year-old Grant could have found a home on a club looking for two-way veteran forward help.

The 6-foot-7 Syracuse product averaged just 14.4 points on .373/.365/.849 shooting splits, 3.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.0 blocks and 0.9 steals a night in his 47 healthy bouts a night last year (all starts). But Grant has clearly been supplanted in head coach Chauncey Billups' starting lineup by Camara and Avdija, and his trade value will only depreciate with another season of health issues and reduced minutes.

Grant is set to embark on a third season of a five-year, $160 million free agent deal he agreed to as a free agent in 2023.

"The case for trading Robert Williams III is even simpler. His injury history is extensive and well-documented, and at this point, the notion that he can be a long-term anchor at center is more theoretical than practical," Brahmbhatt contends.

Williams is in the last season of a four-year, $48 million deal he agreed to while still with the Boston Celtics. His expiring $12 million ostensibly seems fairly movable. As Brahmbhatt notes, contending clubs like the Milwaukee Bucks, Sacramento Kings, and even — for some reason — the already very big Dallas Mavericks all could have been good fits.

"Instead, Portland has chosen to keep him, knowing full well that he might not stay healthy or even make it to the trade deadline," Brahmbhatt writes. "Worse, his presence will likely force Yang Hansen, a lottery pick and a 7-foot unicorn-type big man, to either share minutes or develop behind an unreliable veteran."

Williams' health woes have been even worse than Grant's. The 6-foot-9 Texas A&M product has been available for just 61 games across his past three seasons with the Boston Celtics and Trail Blazers.

Last year, Williams suited up for just 20 games, averaging 5.8 points on 64.1 percent shooting from the field and 88.2 percent shooting from the foul line, 5.9 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, 1.1 assists and 0.7 steals a night. The one-time All-Defensive Teamer does feel like he'll have some value to either a club looking for cap space or one hoping for veteran defensive help at the deadline.