Blazers stay quiet at trade deadline, focus shifts to rotation tweaks and Moda Center funding
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The Portland Trail Blazers made no additional deals ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline after picking up guard/forward Vit Krejci from the Atlanta Hawks earlier in the week. Interim head coach Tiago Splitter said the roster’s stability came as a relief to players who had been on edge in the days leading up to the cutoff.
Although the front office stood pat, the on-court lineup will look different. Krejci is expected to receive a regular opportunity, and rookie point guard Scoot Henderson is set to make his season debut Friday against the Memphis Grizzlies after missing time with a hamstring tear. Forward Deni Avdija will sit for a third straight game because of a lower-back strain, but the club anticipates being close to full strength when he returns.
Splitter indicated that newly available bodies will force minute reductions for some veterans while previously sidelined players assume larger roles. “We still have around 30 games left, and this is hopefully our new normal,” he said.
Two-way limits approaching
Portland still carries a full 15-man standard roster, creating a potential crunch as two-way players Sidy Cissoko and Caleb Love approach the 50-game limit later this month. League observers view Cissoko as the more likely candidate for a standard contract, given his clearer role when the roster is healthy. Wing defender Matisse Thybulle has been mentioned as a possible buyout option, though no final decision has been made.
Krejci embraces new opportunity
Krejci said joining Portland is “really exciting” and added that the Trail Blazers’ ability to attack the basket should create open looks for him on the perimeter.
Arena financing talks continue
While basketball operations remained relatively quiet, the franchise’s business side is deep into negotiations for roughly $600 million in public funding to renovate the Moda Center and secure the team’s long-term future in Portland. Multnomah County has shown reluctance to allocate approximately $40 million in business-tax revenue derived from a potential sale of the team, and city officials are facing pushback over a proposal to divert up to $75 million from a clean-energy fund.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek recently spoke with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to reaffirm her backing of the project and to discourage any thoughts of relocation under prospective new owner Tom Dundon. The Trail Blazers’ lease with the city runs through 2030.
Source: Hoops Rumors
