The Trail Blazers’ roster is built in a way that could actually help them on the trade market. Portland has a pileup at point guard and center, so the trick is finding a team with the exact opposite problem: enough backcourt help, but a need for size, wings, or both.
As the offseason noise starts to fade, three teams stand out as logical trade partners for the Blazers: the Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, and Toronto Raptors.
Denver is the cleanest fit on paper. The Nuggets have reportedly lowered their asking price for Peyton Watson, with a return equivalent to two first-round picks now enough to move the rising star. For Portland, that would be a strong way to add to a young core while addressing a need for wing and forward depth.
Even beyond Watson, Denver has other names that would fit the Blazers’ needs. Cam Johnson and Aaron Gordon have drawn far less trade chatter, but both would be appealing options if Portland is looking to fill out the forward spot.
The appeal goes both ways. Denver needs more help in the backcourt next to Jamal Murray, and Portland has options there. Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson, and Shaedon Sharpe could all make sense for the Nuggets, although Holiday’s contract would make any deal more complicated.
Dallas is another team that could line up well with Portland’s roster imbalance. The Mavericks need more backcourt depth, which gives the Blazers a chance to target a forward in return. Kyrie Irving is expected to be healthy and ready to start the 2026-27 season, but Dallas also has to think about the future around Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg.
That future planning matters because Dallas has already taken a low-risk swing by pairing Flagg with another former No. 1 overall pick, Zaccharie Risacher. With that in place, P.J.
Washington or Naji Marshall could become more available. A swap involving Henderson or Sharpe for Washington is one path that could help both teams get closer to roster balance.
Toronto presents a different kind of opportunity. The Raptors and Blazers have both leaned into length, athleticism, and defense, but their roster constructions have drifted in opposite directions this summer.
Portland now has four centers and four starting-caliber point guards. Toronto, meanwhile, is overloaded with wings. Its center depth chart is led by Jakob Poeltl, who has been an injury-prone negative asset, and backed up by Collin Murray-Boyles, a talented but undersized 6-foot-7 option.
That mismatch opens the door for a deal. Portland could pursue RJ Barrett with established assets, or take a more forward-looking route by acquiring Immanuel Quickley as salary filler if draft capital is included. The mechanics are trickier than they are with Denver or Dallas, but the fit in terms of strengths and weaknesses is obvious enough that a deal could be there.
In Other News...
Blazers Just Turned Their Last Roster Spot Into A Real Fight
The Trail Blazers have turned their final roster opening into a genuine competition, and that fits where the team is trying to go. After signing former Celtics guard John Tonje to a two-year, two-way deal, Portland still has one spot left on the 15-man roster and is reportedly looking to bring in multiple non-guaranteed contract players to battle for it. Micah Potter, who was claimed off waivers from the Pacers, is already in the mix as the Blazers try to sort out the last pieces while keeping an eye on shooting and wing depth.
Portlands interest in Potter makes sense on paper because the front office is still chasing more spacing and more size options behind Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara. The bigger picture is that this is no longer just a camp body search, it is a chance to see who can survive a real roster squeeze and help fill out the bench in a way that actually matters once the season starts. The only question now is which of these non-guaranteed players can do enough before the Blazers make the call. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Suddenly Have A Real Shot At A Controversial Young Trade Target
Denvers shifting price on Peyton Watson has reopened a door that looked far heavier a few days ago. What once sounded like a steep ask for a sign-and-trade now appears more manageable, with the Nuggets reportedly willing to come down from a package built around two first-round picks and two pick swaps to something closer to one high-level player and one first-rounder, which is exactly the kind of adjustment that keeps teams like Portland in the conversation.
For the Trail Blazers, Watson is the sort of young, defensive-minded swing that can make sense if the price keeps softening, especially with his profile tied more to winning than pure scoring upside. Milwaukee is still viewed as the likeliest landing spot, but Portlands name being mentioned at all suggests this could become a real market rather than a one-team chase, and the Blazers will have to decide how far they want to go if the bidding keeps moving in that direction. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Arena Talks Are Starting To Feel Like A Real Problem
The arena conversation in Portland is starting to look less like routine business and more like a real test of patience between the Trail Blazers and city leaders. The current lease runs through 2030, with a team option that stretches to 2035, but the two sides are still far apart on a new deal and there is no sense that the talks are close to a clean finish.
A vote on a new 20-year lease is on the calendar for Aug. 12, though it may need to slide to December if the sides need more time to make meaningful progress. For the Blazers, this is more than a facilities issue because the next agreement will shape the franchises long-term footing in Portland, and the longer the process drags on, the more the uncertainty around the building starts to feel like part of the story. [Read more 🡒]