The Trail Blazers have 13 players with guaranteed contracts on their roster and have added Dennis Smith Jr. and Marquese Chriss on non-guaranteed deals to vie for one of the team’s open roster spots. However, that competition may end up including more veterans than just Smith and Chriss.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Trail Blazers are eyeing other free agent forwards as possible training camp invitees. Michael Beasley, who played for Portland’ Summer League team, is one possibility. The club is also eyeing veteran stretch four Patrick Patterson, says Scotto.
The Blazers still only have 16 players under contract, which means there are four more spots available on their 20-man offseason roster.
As we wait to see how Portland fills those openings, here are a few more items of interest from Scotto:
- Having previously identified the Bulls as one team interested in free agent wing James Ennis, Scotto adds a few more clubs to that list, suggesting that Ennis has also drawn interest from the Trail Blazers, Lakers, and Magic. Ennis, who has spent most of the last two seasons in Orlando, knocked down 43.3% of his three-point attempts in 2020/21.
- Another player who has received interest from the Trail Blazers is big man Isaiah Hartenstein, according to Scotto, who says the Clippers have kicked the tires on the former Cav as well. As I detailed on Tuesday, Hartenstein is the only player who is still a free agent after declining an option earlier this summer.
- Before he signed with Chicago, Alize Johnson generated interest from a handful of other teams, including the Clippers, Suns, and Knicks, per Scotto. If the Clippers had wanted Johnson badly enough, they could’ve claimed him off waivers using one of their trade exceptions, which wasn’t an option for Phoenix or New York.
The Blazers are done. What are they thinking up there?
I want to say that they WANT Lillard to be pissed off and ask out so they can start the rebuild with a truckload of Assets in exchange for their star.
Dame is special and has carried a worse roster further, larry nance is an underrated addition and if nurk could actually stay healthy that’s a nice start…I like cj and Powell but I’m not sure I like cj and Powell starting on the same team
I agree about CJ and Powell together. They could use more size and defense on the perimeter.
Trade Simmons for the best offer in 18 days
Don’t wait for Lillard
Lillard may be available next summer
I read that Cavs could include Kevin Love in the package
It’s nightmare to think like this
Future draft picks exchange for superstars
Can Rockets use Nets and Bucks draft picks to exchange for Luka Doncic?
no way the Mavs even consider trading doncic
Doncic would have to kill at least one person, possibly more, for the Mavericks to trade him.
Wow. Great analysis. They are thinking, let’s get some bench and role players that can actually play defense, unlike Kanter and Melo. Offense is not the problem for the Blazers, defense has always been the problem. Gotta love keyboard warriors giving their “take” on what they think the Lillard is thinking.
For anyone that watched Blazer games on a consistent basis, you would see that the games were usually lost when the bench came in and couldn’t hold leads.
Okay I hear you I’m just giving you my thoughts objectively. I guess I’m a warrior Homer but love the entire NBA. Just thought I would give my comments and guess as to what could be happening up there. Never mean to offend a fan please don’t take it that way.
I hope you’re right I hope they do well. They were fantastic a couple years ago and went far in the playoffs. Let’s hope it happens again. I’m not seeing it but also don’t wish failure upon them at all.
I mean at this point … if you’re trying to convince your franchise centerpiece to stay I don’t think filling out 11 through 16 on your roster is going to make a difference no matter what you do.
But having said that I think Ennis is a lot closer to a rotation guy than DSJ, Chriss and Beasley
Ennis has been practicing patience. James “Patience” Ennis.
“P”Ennis. Butthead laughs: somebody said penis. huh, huh. huh
What’s got you so upset?
Maddog is cool.., I’d react the same way if someone said my team was “done.” He wasn’t so bad. I retracted a little bit and almost apologized.., I know how it is if someone kicks my team while they’re down a little bit. It’s all good.
I’m a closet Buffalo Sabres fan so I get beat up all the time.. at least the Blazers make the playoffs every year and have had good results recently.
I appreciate that. It just gets old when the so called “experts” who have all these inside sources keep talking about Dame is going to demand a trade. We all see how accurate they all were. I mean the clown Henry Abbott just completely embarrassed himself in that regard. Then the rest of the talking heads keep talking about it, when all it is is clickbait.
Of all athletes in the NBA, Dame has been one of the most forthright and straight up ones when it comes to talking to the media. He’s never avoided the questions and provides thoughtful and respectful answers instead of the typical canned answers that most athletes repeat.
Kenneth Faried has also been at Blazer’s camp
The Blazers need Boogie Cousins obviously