The Portland Trail Blazers are probably missing out on Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, but they’ve had a pretty good offseason, all things considered.
They drafted Shaedon Sharpe with the No. 7 pick, stole Gary Payton II from the Warriors, and traded for two-way wing Jerami Grant.
Regarding the latter, he recently made a statement that should have Portland fans excited for the upcoming season.
“Me and Dame got close at USA. I definitely thought it was a possibility. Happy to be here and be a part of this. For the first six years of my career I wasn’t that guy. I’m ready to come here and get some wins.”
https://twitter.com/highkin/status/1545096258011877376
The Blazers were one of the worst-ranked defenses this season, so it makes sense why they would sign a 3-and-D wing player like Grant. While he will be a welcome addition to the roster, there are still some issues in Portland that need to be addressed, not the least of which involves team owner Jody Allen, who has reportedly been shutting Lillard out.
“Damian wanted to sit down and have a conversation with Jody about the team and she didn’t return his call. Then he tried to email her. Eventually she just never responded and put him in touch with Bert,” the source alleged. “When you own a team, there are critical key decisions to make and you should be the one involved in making the decisions.”
Reps for Jody Allen, as well as the Portland Trail Blazers, did not respond to requests for comment.
Nobody knows how good the Trail Blazers will be next season. With a core of Lillard, Simons, Nurkic, and Grant, they should be competitive in the West standings. But until they get to the heart of the issues, the Blazers may never win a title.
For now, though, the organization and its fans are buzzing with excitement for what is to come.
