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The 2026 NBA Trade Deadline passed last week with barely a blip from the Portland Trail Blazers. They picked up guard Vit Krejci from the Atlanta Hawks before the big day, then remained quiet during the proceedings.
Overall, we were fine with their incremental approach, but a few Blazer’s Edge Readers were less so, particularly since the team is trying to take steps forward this year and make the 2026 NBA Playoffs. One of them took the time to submit this interesting, theoretical Blazer’s Edge Mailbag question which we’ll tackle before putting the deadline behind us.
It was another dead trade deadline this year. All respect to Vit but small moves aren’t getting it done with this roster. If you could have done anything you wanted with serious trades what would you have done? Serious things that are realistic but not Giannis or anything. Give me something I haven’t heard so I could dream about what might have been.
These scenarios are hard, but sure. You want something dramatic? How’s this:
The Blazers call up the Chicago Bulls BEFORE they moved Nikola Vucevic and Ayo Dosunmu. The conversation goes like this. “You’re a team perpetually stuck in the middle. We’re headed the same way. We need to shuffle. One of us gets all the players and makes a run, the other all the draft assets and rebuilds hardcore. Since you seem more on the verge of a rebuild, we’re going to send you picks and swaps and salaries. We’ll throw in Scoot too. We take Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, Vucevic, and Dosunmu.”
Alternately, call up the Memphis Grizzlies post JJJ trade, when it’s obvious they’re tearing down, and give them Jerami Grant, RWIII, Matisse Thybulle, Scoot Henderson, Rayan Rupert, and picks for Ja Morant, Zach Edey, Ty Jerome, Santi Aldama, and Cam Spencer. Or heck, try to talk them into a swap that includes Jaren Jackson, Jr. instead of Edey. I only wanted Zach because he’s the other Donovan Clingan, and you could have a two-headed ettin giant at center forever with that duo.
Either way, that certainly shakes up the roster and puts the team on a new course. It could be crash and burn, but it also could be an unforeseen leap.
Do I think these things have a ghost of a chance of happening? No. Would I actually do them as GM? Also no. But getting Giddey or JJJ would be tempting! The idea of two middling teams swapping assets to make one Mighty Morphin Combined Team and one draft-heavy tanking machine has allure. It also fits the criterion you set above of being exciting.
What do you all think? Would more radical moves be better for the Blazers at this point? If so, what would you suggest? If you were going to try a super-swap, which middle-of-the-road team would you choose? Share in the comments below. Also please help us send kids to see the Blazers play on March 10th via Blazer’s Edge Night! Time is running short for donations!