Portland Trail Blazers Get Another C Grade for Offseason

ESPN analyst Kevin Pelton assigned the Portland Trail Blazers a "C" grade for their NBA offseason performance. This mediocre grade contrasts with the enthusiasm of many local fans but aligns with a similar recent "C" grade from another national outlet (Yahoo Sports). Pelton acknowledged Portland's moves, including trading away veterans Anfernee Simons and Deandre Ayton, but expressed a desire for the team to also trade 31-year-old forward Jerami Grant.

The Blazers had an eventful summer, acquiring Jrue Holiday, making a notable draft selection in Chinese center Yang Hansen, and reuniting with franchise star Damian Lillard. Pelton noted that adding two veteran All-Star guards (Holiday and Lillard) could create a crowded backcourt situation upon Lillard's expected return from injury in 2026-27. He also reiterated that Jerami Grant remains on the roster despite being surpassed by younger forwards Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara last season.

While a "C" is not a strong grade, Pelton gave significantly lower evaluations to other teams. The New Orleans Pelicans received the worst grade of "F", while the Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers received "D+" and "D" grades respectively.

The summary also notes that Pelton's evaluation did not mention two other Blazers signings: free agent guard Blake Wesley on a standard one-year contract and rookie guard Caleb Love on a two-way deal.