Blazers Front Office Ripped for 'Eventful Summer' of Trades, Signings

The Portland Trail Blazers were not without an eventful offseason, although many of the rebuilding team's moves were fairly inscrutable.

Portland flipped 26-year-old scoring guard Anfernee Simons and his expiring contract to the Boston Celtics in exchange for 35-year-old six-time All-Defensive combo guard Jrue Holiday, whose troubling physical compelled the Trail Blazers to rescind their initial offer of a second round pick to Boston. The Trail Blazers also negotiated a contract buyout with center Deandre Ayton, a talented big man who struggled with health and motivation throughout his two years in Rip City.

The Trail Blazers then dealt their way out of the lottery in the 2025 NBA Draft, selecting exciting young center Yang Hansen with the No. 16 overall pick — just a year after they drafted exciting young center Donovan Clingan at No. 7, which isn't exactly a vote of confidence by the front office in... itself.

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Portland made its splashiest move, however, when it opted to sign former Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard to a new three-year contract. The 35-year-old will miss most or all of 2025-26 as he rehabilitates from an Achilles tendon tear, but his return could represent a heartwarming final chapter in what has been a Hall of Fame career.

In a fresh appraisal of every franchise's summer, Kevin Pelton of ESPN took Portland's front office to task for many of its move.

Pelton assessed Portland a bad-but-passing C grade, better at least than the paltry offseasons of the Toronto Raptors (C-), Chicago Bulls (C-), Brooklyn Nets (C-), Sacramento Kings (D+), Indiana Pacers (D), and New Orleans Pelicans — the only team awarded a failing F grade for a totally bizarre run of weird decisions.

The Golden State Warriors, meanwhile, were dealt an "Incomplete" grade. Pelton is operating under the assumption that the Warriors intend to sign floor-spacing former five-time All-Star center Al Horford and combo guard De'Anthony Melton.

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Unfortunately, Golden State finds itself encumbered by its protracted negotiations with restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga.

"It was an eventful summer for the Blazers, who dealt for Jrue Holiday, made the draft's most interesting pick in Chinese center Yang Hansen and reunited with franchise icon Damian Lillard," Pelton notes. "Adding two veteran All-Star guards could crowd Portland's backcourt when Lillard returns from an Achilles rupture, likely in 2026-27."

Portland at least has one veteran contract it can hopefully offload for future draft equity and/or higher-upside young pieces: oft-hurt power forward Jerami Grant.

"And the Blazers still haven't found a new home for forward Jerami Grant, who was surpassed in the rotation last season by younger Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara," Pelton observes.

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