The Portland Trail Blazers have a strange way of showing up in the biggest moves around the league, even when they’re not the team making the splash.
Their most famous championship run came in 1977, but this franchise has still found itself tied to recent title-shaping decisions. Portland helped send Jrue Holiday to Boston in the move that gave the Celtics the last piece they needed in 2024, and this offseason the Blazers’ biggest impact may have come from the deal they never made.
LeBron James ultimately signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, calling it his final decision and pointing to basketball reasons for why he still believes he can chase a championship at 41 years old. Philadelphia was not viewed as a major player for him at first, but that changed once the 76ers landed Jaylen Brown from the rival Boston Celtics. That move made Boston look worse in the moment, and now it looks even rougher with Brown teaming up with James.
Portland also had a hand in that chain reaction. The Blazers had shown interest in Brown and had the assets to get a deal done, especially once it became clear how little he fetched in the trade to Philadelphia.
Instead, Portland chose to stay put after landing Ja Morant as its “big splash,” and later concerns about Brown’s analytics surfaced as part of the reason the Blazers passed. Brown is not a bad player, but Portland evidently didn’t think he was worth the kind of price that comes with a $57 million salary this upcoming season.
From Philadelphia’s side, the Brown move already looked like a bargain: a 2024 Finals MVP still in his prime for Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks. The comparison that comes to mind is the Paul George deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, which eventually functioned as part of the package that helped land Kawhi Leonard in free agency.
The 76ers were lucky Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wasn’t part of this one. And now, with Brown helping set up a path to James on a team-friendly deal, the whole sequence looks even more lopsided.
For Portland, though, the story is different. Even with Brown, the Blazers were never going to be a real destination for James. That’s part of the reality Joe Cronin faces in roster building from a smaller market.
Still, this offseason has reinforced how often Portland sits near the center of superstar movement without actually landing the star itself. The Blazers were also linked earlier this offseason to the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade chatter because of the Bucks picks they hold from the Damian Lillard deal. That keeps Portland relevant, but it also leaves the same frustrating feeling: close enough to matter, not close enough to finish the job.
Maybe those Bucks picks eventually open the door to a superstar of Portland’s own.
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 🡒]