The Portland Trail Blazers came away with UConn big man Donovan Clingan in the first round of the NBA Draft on Wednesday night, and after the pick, general manager Joe Cronin spoke on the talent base he is trying to build, and Anfernee Simons name was not mentioned as a player the team is committed to, which fanned the flames on the trade rumors surrounding him.
“We've got to continue to build this talent base,” Joe Cronin said, via Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report. “We're committed to Scoot and Shaedon being a massive part of what we're doing. How do we find ways to give them the support they need and make them better and maximize their development?”
It appears that Cronin and the Trail Blazers are at least envisioning building around Donovan Clingan, Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe. It could be a slip-up for Cronin, and he might believe that Simons is a player to build around for the long term, but his comments certainly do raise eyebrows.
Simons is entering the third year of a four-year, $100 million contract, so it could be conceivable that Cronin would want to move him to give more playing time to the younger players on the team. It will be interesting to see if Simons is moved at some point this summer, as he is a talented player who could help a team that wants to win now.
Who are the Trail Blazers trying to build around?
Starting with Clingan, who was one of the more dominant big men in college basketball over the past two seasons, the Trail Blazers are hoping that his traits translate to the NBA level. While there are some question about his offensive upside, there is a lot to like for NBA teams, as his size and athleticism gave great rim protection in college. That is viewed as a transferrable skill, and if he can have some kind of offensive game playing with Henderson and Sharpe, the Trail Blazers could end up having a nice core of players.
In 2022, the Trail Blazers selected Sharpe out of Kentucky with the No. 7 pick in the first round. As Cronin said, Portlant is committed to him as a piece for the long-term. In 2023, Portland reportedly had interest in Clingan if he had entered the draft, but that ultimately did not happen. Instead, they ended up with Scoot Henderson with the No. 3 pick in the draft.
It will be interesting to see what Cronin does with Simons this summer, as well as Deandre Ayton, as with Clingan in the fold, he does not seem to fit as a long-term piece. There are significant questions to answer this summer, but we have a general idea of who the Trail Blazers want to build around.