The Trail Blazers’ backcourt has gone from crowded to downright complicated.
With Ja Morant now in the mix after Portland acquired him from the Grizzlies, the Blazers are suddenly trying to sort through a group that also includes Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe. Jeremy Brener of SI.com pointed out that there may still be a move to make, because all of those guards need minutes and not all of them can get the kind of role they want.
Lillard and Morant are expected to open as the starters, and that could leave Sharpe in a sixth-man spot even after he posted a career-high 20.8 points last season. Henderson is another name to watch if Portland decides the roster needs more balance and wing help.
The Blazers have no shortage of talent. The issue is fitting it all together.
Out in Los Angeles, the Clippers made a move that changes both sides of the hallway.
Rui Hachimura is headed to the Clippers on a two-year, $28 million deal, and Cem Yolbulan of SI.com noted that the move gives them a much-needed power forward after John Collins’ departure. It also takes Hachimura away from the Lakers, a team Luka Doncic reportedly wanted to keep intact.
Hachimura spent the last several seasons with the Lakers and brings exactly what the Clippers were looking for: size, shooting and playoff experience. That matters for a team trying to reshape itself after moving on from Kawhi Leonard. The Lakers have added multiple players this offseason, but replacing Hachimura’s shooting and postseason reliability may not be simple.
In Washington, Khris Middleton’s return is being framed very differently.
Henry Brown of SI.com reported that Middleton is expected to come back as veteran depth, not as a centerpiece in the rotation. The Wizards still want major roles for A.J. Dybantsa, Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George and Will Riley, and Middleton’s presence is not supposed to get in the way of that development.
He can still provide shooting, passing and a steady voice in the locker room, but Washington did not bring him back to eat into the minutes of its young core. Last season, the Wizards used Middleton as a starter in part to rebuild his trade value. This time, his role is expected to look very different.
In Other News...
Clippers Still Have One Roster Question Fans Cant Ignore
The Suns latest flurry of roster moves was another reminder of how quickly the Western Conference is sorting itself out before camp, with Phoenix locking in Mark Williams, Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin while also reshaping its wing rotation in a deal that sent Grayson Allen and Royce ONeale to Charlotte for Miles Bridges. Around the league, teams are still filling out coaching staffs and final roster spots, but the bigger takeaway for the Clippers is that the arms race at the top of the West is not slowing down.
Los Angeles has already done plenty of its own work this offseason, yet one question still hangs over the roster: whether the front office is comfortable going into the season with its current options at center. Brook Lopez, Isaiah Jackson and Yanic Konan Niederhauser are the names on the board for now, and the Clippers can live with that group on paper, but the way the market keeps shifting suggests they may not be done looking for another move. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Just Made A Telling Long Term Bet On Kobe Sanders
The Clippers have quietly added another layer to their long-term roster planning by bringing Kobe Sanders into the fold on a new deal that reflects more than just a short-term flier. The guards contract starts at $2,622,139 annually and runs four years, a structure that gives Los Angeles some immediate stability while also building in flexibility as the roster evolves.
What makes the move notable is the way the Clippers arranged it, using the Non-Bird exception to get Sanders to that salary level and locking in a deal with two fully guaranteed seasons before the terms become more team-friendly down the line. It is the kind of contract that says the front office sees value now, but also wants a little room to maneuver later, which is exactly the sort of balancing act that tends to matter when the cap picture gets crowded. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Face An Uncomfortable Ingram Trade Question At Center
The Clippers search for a center upgrade has led them into a familiar kind of trade discussion, the sort that sounds attractive on paper until the details start piling up. Domantas Sabonis is one of the leagues most productive offensive bigs, a polished passer and a steady interior scorer, but any team weighing him has to balance that against the rest of the package, including the way his game translates on the other end and how much room he would leave on the books.
For Los Angeles, the fit question is especially uncomfortable because the roster already has clear needs in the paint, and Sabonis does not solve every one of them. His recent availability is part of the concern too, after a season in which he played only 19 games and dealt with a meniscus tear and back issues, while the contract commitment is heavy enough to make any misstep feel bigger. The Clippers can see the appeal, but they also have to decide whether this is the kind of swing that helps them now or just adds another complicated layer to an already tricky roster build. [Read more 🡒]