Biggest need Blazers must still address in 2024 NBA offseason

07/06/2024 11:58 PM

The Portland Trail Blazers have a talented young core and the assets to go after a big fish this offseason. The front office should be scouring both the trade and free agent markets to find the right player who could complete this young team's core and help elevate the Blazers to credible contenders.

Portland has plenty of talent at the guard spots, but they are lacking talented wings. With that said, let’s take a closer look at Portland’s roster, what the team needs and who the front office could be aiming to acquire this summer.

Identifying the Trail Blazers’ biggest need

The biggest need for the Portland Trail Blazers is a veteran presence who can double as the team's go-to scorer and short-term best player. The ideal version of the Blazers roster features Scoot Henderson or Shaedon Sharpe as the team’s eventual best player.

However, the best thing the Blazers can do is to find a 1B to complement their eventual 1A. This is because Henderson and Sharpe both have clear issues that could prevent them from becoming top-10 players in the league. Henderson struggled during his rookie season, which isn't all too uncommon especially for young guards, but it does create some questions about how much he can be relied upon as a standalone franchise player.

Meanwhile, Sharpe has shown flashes and demonstrated natural athleticism that rivals the all-time greats, but the jury is still out as to whether he has the top-end handles, creativity, court vision and shotmaking talent to be a true superstar.

Sharpe is definitely going to be an elite secondary option, and right now that is his floor. The question is what his ceiling could be. Adding another elite perimeter creator and shotmaker could benefit Sharpe by taking the pressure off of the young wing. This would allow him to develop at his own pace or find his niche for how he can impact the game.

Blazers should target Brandon Ingram

So, with all that being said, which player should Portland’s front office prioritize adding to the roster this summer? The ideal player for the Blazers is not actually a free agent. Rather, this player has been rumored to be available through the trade market. The player that Portland should target is current New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram.

The 27-year-old wing out of Duke had an inconsistent start to his career with the Los Angeles Lakers, but in New Orleans he has developed into a legitimate NBA star. Ingram has improved his efficiency and averages north of 20 points per game on respectable percentages. More importantly, he has demonstrated the ability to get to his spots at any given time and get off a quality shot.

His combination of ball-handling and footwork, along with the respect he commands from the defense and his high release point, allows Ingram to get to where he wants to go on the court and shoot over the defender even if they know what he is planning to do.

While he's certainly not the same caliber of player, Ingram is in many ways a poor man's version of Kevin Durant. Ingram has grown as a 3-point shooter, he gets to the rim with ease and uses his length to finish over or around the factors and he's deadly pulling up from the midrange. He had always been viewed as a lethal midrange assassin who could also get to the rim at will. His growth as a deep threat makes him a legitimate three-level scorer who can punish a defense from anywhere on the court.

Ingram has really grown as a 3-point shooter since he has entered the league. This is what has jump-started his efficiency and helped him evolve from a talented but inconsistent volume scorer to a dynamic star and arguably borderline superstar.

The former Laker has increased both his number of three-pointers attempted as well as the rate at which he converts them. He has a compact, efficient and repeatable form and is comfortable taking catch-and-shoot opportunities. This ability to be an off-ball shooter will allow Ingram to fit into any scheme.

Because of his creation skills, he'll bring more value to a system in this role than most pure catch-and-shoot archetypes. When the defense closes out aggressively, Ingram is more than capable of putting the ball on the floor and driving to the rim or stepping past the defender for a midrange jumper.

What a Brandon Ingram deal could look like for Blazers

The Blazers could potentially solve two problems with one move by dealing for Ingram. Portland currently has a logjam in their backcourt, with three players for two spots. Anfernee Simons, along with the aforementioned Henderson and Sharpe are all talented players in their own rights, but all of them are best suited to play either the one or two.

While Sharpe could theoretically play the three and Ingram the four, the best version of this team features Ingram at small forward.

That is why it could make sense for Portland to send Simons back to the Pelicans in a deal for Ingram. Any potential trade would have to include at least one valuable asset going back along draft compensation, and a player on an expensive contract would also be required to make the salaries match.

The current fair market value for stars appears to be four first-rounders, but Ingram seems to be undervalued around the league, his free agency is coming up, and Simons is a legitimate asset himself.

All of these factors would serve to drive down the price in terms of draft capital and give Portland leverage to negotiate sending fewer picks away as part of this transaction. Simons plus two first-rounders and potentially a sweetener or two should get this deal done.

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