Portland’s Deni Avdija gamble looked risky when Joe Cronin made it, but it’s turned into the kind of move front offices dream about. On draft night in 2024, the Trail Blazers sent Malcolm Brogdon, the No. 14 overall pick that became Bub Carrington, a 2029 first-rounder, and two second-round picks in 2028 and 2030 to Washington for Avdija.
At the time, plenty of people questioned why a rebuilding team would spend that much future capital on a player many saw as a solid role guy. Two seasons later, the deal looks wildly one-sided, and it helped push Portland back to the postseason.
Now the Blazers are trying to build on that playoff trip with an eye on a deeper run fueled by Damian Lillard’s return. Ja Morant’s arrival should raise the talent level, but Portland still needs another piece if it wants to truly hang with the West’s heavyweights - preferably someone who also fits the roster cleanly.
That’s where the Avdija blueprint comes back into focus, this time with Denver Nuggets trade candidate Peyton Watson.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Nuggets have dropped their asking price on Watson and are now looking for the equivalent of one “high-level player” and one first-round pick. That’s not the same bargain Portland got with Avdija, but it’s a price the Blazers can absolutely meet given their stash of assets.
Watson also checks a lot of the same boxes as a buy-low swing on a player with room to grow. He’s 23 and just posted a career season, averaging 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting 49/41/73.
The three-point number is the one that makes you pause, because Watson has gone from 29.6 percent to 35.3 percent to 41.1 percent over the last three seasons. That’s the same kind of question Portland faced with Avdija after his shooting jumped with the Wizards.
Watson probably doesn’t have the same ceiling Avdija showed in Portland. He looks more like a true role player than a future star. Even so, he fits the exact kind of move the Blazers have already shown they’re willing to make: betting on a young player who’s only beginning to climb.
In Other News...
Blazers Fans Have Every Reason To Fear Where This Is Headed
Tom Dundons first months as the Trail Blazers owner have already brought a hard reset in how the franchise operates, from layoffs in the organization to tighter travel rules for two-way players during the playoffs. Now the bigger issue hanging over the team is not just how it spends, but where it plays, with reports pointing to a search for arena possibilities beyond Portland as lease talks and renovation costs grow more complicated.
The concern in Portland is easy to understand. The current arena land lease is far shorter than what is typical for NBA buildings, and the public financing being discussed still leaves a sizable gap from what ownership wants for Moda Center upgrades. Add in repeated reporting about Dundons lack of ties to the city and his willingness to make blunt financial decisions, and the Blazers suddenly feel like a franchise whose future is being shaped as much by real estate and leverage as by basketball. [Read more 🡒]
Scoot Henderson Debate Just Became A Defining Blazers Question
The Trail Blazers have turned a straightforward roster question into a real front-office dilemma by adding Ja Morant to a backcourt that already includes Scoot Henderson, Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard. That kind of crowding naturally invites trade chatter, and Henderson has been at the center of it, even though Portland does not appear eager to move him just to clear the lane. The bigger issue is not whether the Blazers have enough guards. It is whether they can afford to make a decision on Henderson before his value rebounds.
Several proposals are already floating around, which tells you how unsettled the conversation has become, but Portland seems inclined to be patient rather than take a discounted return. Henderson remains the player whose long-term place is hardest to pin down in the wake of the Morant move, and that uncertainty is what makes this such a defining question for the Blazers. If the organization believes the market will improve, it may choose to wait and see whether Henderson can force the issue himself instead of being the odd man out. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Need More From Ja Morant For This Gamble To Work
Portlands offseason makeover brought a different kind of pressure with it, and the biggest swing now sits on Ja Morants shoulders. The Blazers did not bring him in simply to hunt shots and put points on the board. They need him to lean into the playmaking side of his game, because the rosters best version depends on someone who can bend defenses, open the floor and keep the offense moving with purpose.
Deni Avdija already showed how much of that load he can handle, finishing last season as Portlands assist leader while Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson also took turns organizing the offense. But for this gamble to really have a chance, Morant has to share that burden instead of trying to shoulder everything himself, and he has to do it with cleaner decision-making. The Blazers ceiling in the West may come down to whether Morant and Avdija can make the ball movement work together. [Read more 🡒]