NBA free agency starts Thursday with the Portland Trail Blazers’ most important objectives being to re-sign Anfernee Simons and Jusuf Nurkic.
Getting those deals done would keep the current projected lineup intact. Losing either player would leave the Blazers scrambling to replace them. But even after closing deals with both, which is expected, the Blazers still need to acquire more talent in order to reach the franchise’s prime objective.
“The goal is to win a championship, that’s plain and simple for us,” Blazers general manager Joe Cronin said. “We’re not content making the playoffs year to year, winning a round or two. Our goal is to grow and take this to the peak.”
The fun got rolling Wednesday when the Blazers extended a qualifying offer to Simons. Doing so made him a restricted free agent. He is now eligible to sign an offer from another team that the Blazers would undoubtedly match. Or, the Blazers and Simons could simply reach a contract agreement on their own.
Free agents can begin negotiating with teams starting at 3 p.m. Thursday. On July 6, any negotiated trades or contracts can be made official after the new salary cap and luxury-tax numbers for next season have been set. That is when the Blazers can officially announce their trade for Detroit forward Jerami Grant.
That move left the Blazers with a projected starting lineup of Damian Lillard, Simons, Josh Hart, whose 2022-23 salary of $12.9 million became guaranteed on Saturday, Grant and Nurkic.
That’s a formidable crew but likely not a title-contending lineup. Unfortunately for the Blazers, they won’t have many avenues to add impact players via free agency. A move for another major piece would likely have to come via trade.
PORTLAND, OREGON – APRIL 10: Interim General Manager Joe Cronin of the Portland Trail Blazers looks on before the game against the Utah Jazz at Moda Center on April 10, 2022 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)Getty Images
Should the Blazers not exceed the tax apron after re-signing Simons and Nurkic, they would then have the full mid-level exception of about $10.4 million in the first season with four years being the max. Then there is the bi-annual exception expected to be worth about $4 million with a two-year cap.
Should the Blazers land in the tax, the taxpayer mid-level exception could be worth about $6.2 million in the first year. The Blazers also have two trade exceptions, one worth $6 million and the other $3 million.
Cronin said the hope is a player the Blazers covet becomes available in the trade market. If so, they could look to put together a package of players and future draft picks (their 2025 and 2027 first-round picks could be offered up) in order to complete a deal.
However, such events are rare. The Blazers, prior to last week’s NBA draft, were in talks with Toronto for forward OG Anunoby with the No. 7 pick involved. But the teams couldn’t work out a deal and the Blazers ended up choosing Kentucky guard Shaedon Sharpe.
Sharpe has high-end potential but likely won’t help the Blazers contend as a rookie.
The Blazers have avenues by which to get better. Trading for Grant and drafting Sharpe got the ball rolling. The next phase of their quest begins Thursday.
“Our goal,” Cronin said, “is to push this to the limit and this is a really good start.”
— Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook).
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