Blazers Keep Jrue Holiday, Donovan Clingan After Ja Morant Trade Creates 4-Guard Logjam
Updated
Updated · hoopsrumors.com · Jun 30
Blazers Keep Jrue Holiday, Donovan Clingan After Ja Morant Trade Creates 4-Guard Logjam
1 articles · Updated · hoopsrumors.com · Jun 30
Summary
Portland has told rival teams it does not plan to trade Jrue Holiday, even after acquiring Ja Morant and creating a four-point-guard roster crunch.
Holiday could shift to shooting guard and small forward, and the Blazers believe Holiday, Morant, Scoot Henderson and Damian Lillard can coexist despite Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe also needing backcourt touches.
Donovan Clingan is also viewed as essentially off limits in trade talks, leaving Portland to look elsewhere for frontcourt help after already moving Jerami Grant.
Robert Williams is expected to test free agency seeking about $15 million annually, increasing the Blazers' need at center and power forward as more roster moves still appear likely.
The Morant deal was seen internally as a no-brainer, but it has drawn outside criticism over his fit, durability and off-court reliability.