No. 3 pick, trade possibilities, Jerami Grant, and more

The Portland Trail Blazers remain committed to a playoff pursuit despite their recent struggles. They’ve been in the lottery for two consecutive seasons and refuse to fully tear it down. The team reportedly plans to continue to maximize the roster around Damian Lillard and now has a major trade chip in the third overall selection.

Is there a return out there worthy of trading that pick in such a top-heavy draft? And if they do, do they have enough flexibility to re-sign Jerami Grant and fill out the rest of the roster? There are still questions about the overall talent and the team’s viability to get back to contention next season. A third year out of the playoffs could be the final straw that pushes the organization to a rebuild.

Here is a preview of the 2023 offseason for the Portland Trail Blazers.

State of the roster and overall direction

(Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

The Trail Blazers entered the past two seasons with playoff aspirations in mind. In both years they were teetering in the lower seedings of the play-in tournament and ultimately pivoted to climbing the reverse standings for a higher draft pick. The pressure is on for the team to finally get back into the postseason but it will be challenging to successfully optimize the roster while keeping its cost controlled.

Portland is going into the offseason with 12 players under contract, including their two first-round picks, and is roughly $35 million below the luxury tax. They project to have access to the $12.2 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception and the $4.5 million bi-annual exception. They also have two trade exceptions, including a sizeable $8.3 million one they generated in the trade deadline.

However, they may not be able to utilize the entirety of their exceptions with a large chunk of their remaining room below the tax presumably going to Jerami Grant and maybe Matisse Thybulle. The minimalist approach to their offseason could include making their draft selections, re-signing their…