After The Draft, What Will Happen To The Rest Of The Trail Blazers Roster?
By STEVEN VAUGHAN, 750 THE GAME
There has been so much talk about the draft and rightfully so. It’s a very important night for the Trail Blazers. But let’s not forget about the rest of the roster.
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Some fans want to “rebuild” with the roster that the Blazers have. But we should remember that this team tried to contend last season with this roster — and ended up tanking.
Do the Blazers need an entire overhaul after draft night?
Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report joined the Bald Faced Truth with John Canzano and told John that there is only one player on the Blazers roster who seems to be untradeable.
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“The only guy who’s completely off the table in trade talk is Shaedon Sharpe,” Highkin said. “Whether they build around Dame or eventually go in the other direction, that’s the guy I can say confidently is not going to be traded anytime soon.”
Anfernee Simons and Jusuf Nurkic have been heavily criticized for their play last season and Highkin thinks both could be moved.
“If they (Blazers) get anything done for a star of the caliber they are trying to get, I think either Simons or Nurkic have to be included for salary matching purposes. So I think those two are likely to be gone.”
Jerami Grant had a tremendous first half of last season but cooled off considerably later in the season. Grant was the big acquisition last summer and is a free agent this year. Highkin expects the Blazers to bring him back.
“I do think it’s pretty much decided that Jerami Grant is going to be re-signed pretty quickly into free agency. I think Matisse Thybulle, who they picked up at the trade deadline, is going to be back, too. He’s a restricted free agent. I would expect him to be back either direction they go.”
This offseason is the first time Blazers GM, Joe Cronin, has assets to work with to improve the roster, and Highkin thinks he knows what Cronin would love to do.
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“In an ideal world for Joe Cronin, I think he would love make the third pick and keep it,” Highkin said. “And use other stuff to make other moves and other upgrades and get more veteran talent. That way you have two guys in Shaedon Sharpe and whoever out of Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller that are your developmental projects.”
Not all of the Blazers’ deficiencies can be addressed on draft night. But there seems to be a lot of potential movement in Rip City this offseason.
Listen to the full interview with Rose Garden Report’s, Sean Highkin, by clicking the podcast below. Catch the Bald Faced Truth with John Canzano weekdays 3-6 p.m. in Portland exclusively on 750 The Game.
