The Portland Trail Blazers front office appears to have stumbled upon a trick that longtime players of NBA 2K's MyLEAGUE game mode have used over the years — trade players with tons of value for players who could bring back even more assets, rinse and repeat. This was exactly what Joe Cronin and company did when they traded away Damian Lillard, came away with Jrue Holiday, Deandre Ayton, and draft assets, and then parlayed Holiday into Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams III, and even more draft picks.

Given the Blazers' status as a rebuilding team, spearheading a youth movement led by Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, and Anfernee Simons, it stands to reason that Brogdon would soon find his way out of the Pacific Northwest. But Cronin's words on media day state otherwise.

Speaking to reporters, the Blazers general manager revealed that the team may end up keeping Malcolm Brogdon, owing to the team's need for helpful veteran presences that would make their rebuilding effort that much more seamless.

“We want to have Malcolm come here and be a part of this. He can bring some good on-court intangibles for us and also as a veteran, which is something we're going to need. We have a very young roster. I want to make sure there's enough veteran leadership around these guys,” Cronin said, per Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report.

Malcolm Brogdon has always been one of the most respected figures in every locker room he's been in, but it's unclear at the moment if Brogdon would get on with the Blazers' rebuilding program. Brogdon, as one would recall, reportedly expressed discontentment at the Boston Celtics' looming plan to continue utilizing him off the bench, opting to start Derrick White over him even after Marcus Smart's departure.

In Portland, Brogdon won't be starting, especially when Scoot Henderson and Anfernee Simons have those backcourt spots on lock. Nevertheless, plans can change in an instant, so even if Joe Cronin is planning on having Brogdon around as a helpful veteran presence, the Blazers may end up dealing him away for even more assets to set themselves up even more nicely for a rebuild that's been off to a fantastic start.