The Portland Trail Blazers shocked the basketball world at the trade deadline.
As fans saw players like Luka Doncic, Anthony Davis, DeAaron Fox, and many other stars swap teams, it wasn’t a deal that Portland made, but rather the deals they didn’t make that left onlookers speechless.
The Trail Blazers didn’t make a single move.
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General manager Joe Cronin chose to ride it out with this current group and allow them to keep growing together, but hopes that the core gets tighter as the season goes on.
“I think that definitely tightened up in this transaction cycle,”Cronin said. “So, it’ll be interesting to see if that continues to be tighter or if that loosens up a little bit.”
With a play-in spot not too far of a dream for the young Trail Blazers, their squad certainly needs to get back to their recent winning ways, as they are coming off a two-game losing streak.
Before the recent skid, Portland won 10 of their last 11 games.
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A player who many in the basketball world believed to be moved at the deadline but still remains a Trail Blazer is Robert Williams III. His defensive prowess makes him a hot commodity in the game of basketball nowadays, but his injury history was likely the reason teams didn’t give a worthy haul for the center at the deadline.
It should be no surprise that Williams is back on the injury report ahead of the second consecutive game on the road against the Denver Nuggets.
Williams missed the 146-117 pounding from the Nuggets Monday evening.
The 6-foot-9 center is not going to suit up once again for the Trail Blazers in the final game before the All-Star break, likely meaning that rookie Donovan Clingan will earn extra minutes.
Jerami Grant and Robert Williams III are out. Blazers are starting Simons, Avdija, Camara, Murray and Clingan.
— Sean Highkin (@highkin) February 13, 2025
Williams is in the midst of a slightly down year, but still one that had teams calling Portland with endless trade proposals. The 27-year-old is putting up 5.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game in just about 17.2 minutes played per contest.
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