Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers made a concerted effort ahead of the trade deadline to clear cap as much cap space as possible. Players with long-term contracts such as Norman Powell and CJ McCollum were dealt, along with Larry Nance Jr. and Robert Covington.
While the return packages for them didn’t include too many players with big upside, Portland cleared a ton of cap space. Potentially armed with over $70 million in cap space and draft capital, the Portland Trail Blazers are in a position to upgrade the roster in a major way this offseason.
They plan to rebuild things around Damian Lillard, who is now healthy after battling an abdomen injury for a few years. Pairing him with Bradley Beal is something that could be appealing to the front office.
Convincing Beal that Portland is the place for him is easier said than done as the greater northwest has never been seen as a free agent destination. But, teaming up with Lillard to create one of the most dynamic backcourts could be something that appeals to Beal.
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The Portland Trail Blazers could offer the Washington Wizards salary relief, trading Josh Hart and Eric Bledsoe, both of whom don’t have guaranteed contracts for the 2022-23 season.
Keon Johnson and Anfernee Simons are two young players the Wizards could have an interest in as well. With a first-round pick available every year, they have the draft capital to build a strong deal as well.
