Already the league's most active trade partner, the Portland Trail Blazers still may not be done dealing leading up to Thursday afternoon's deadline.

Indeed, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported in the immediate wake of Portland sending C.J. McCollum to the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday that interim general manager Joe Cronin and the front office are going big-game hunting with their new stable of movable assets, hoping to find another star to pair with Damian Lillard.

Pump the brakes on the likelihood of the Blazers making another blockbuster trade or adding a big-name free agent between now and the deadline, though. Trade exceptions of such a size regularly go unused, and that horde of cap space is theoretical, dependent on opportunity cost Portland can't afford. Which star wants to sign with or get traded to Portland anyway?

But even if the Blazers pull off acquiring a player like Jerami Grant, for instance, it won't change some pressing orders of business they need to deal with before 2022-23 tips off. Here are two moves Portland must make after finally splitting McCollum and Damian Lillard.

Pay up for Anfernee Simons

There's no getting around it. The ultimate efficacy of Portland's trades with both the Pelicans and LA Clippers hinge on Simons signing a long-term contract this summer. The good news is that the Blazers will have match rights on him in restricted free agency, and even a max offer sheet for Simons—not coming barring another breakout over the season's remainder—won't be too expensive for them to match while avoiding the luxury tax.

Both Cronin and Chauncey Billups justified Friday's trade with the Clippers by appealing to Simons' future in Rip City. That deal paved the way for Portland to pay up, and Tuesday's trade cleared a path for Simons to cement himself as not just Lillard's co-star in the backcourt, but his successor as a foundational building block. His continued growth is this team's easiest way to quickly level back up in the Western Conference, whether more significant changes to the roster are made or not.

There's no reason Simons won't be continuing his career with the Blazers. The only question left is how much it will cost Portland to pay him, and every obstacle to meeting that price has been removed, too.

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Make a decision on Jusuf Nurkic

Clearing so much salary over the past several days has made keeping Nurkic a much more palatable option for the Blazers as well. A free agent this summer, his name has been frequently mentioned in trade rumors regarding teams that need a long-term answer in the middle. But Portland's previous trades no doubt increase the possibility he remains on the roster past the trade deadline, set to hit the open market in July.

After signing Simons to a contract worth around $20 million annually, factoring in Josh Hart's non-guaranteed $12.9 million salary and accounting for Eric Bledsoe's partial guarantee, the Blazers will have roughly $102 million in committed money for 2022-23. Nurkic's cap hold would push Portland right up against the projected $121 million salary cap for next season, nuking its available space to sign exterior free agents.

As a result, the Blazers will essentially be forced to choose between two options: Retaining Nurkic's Bird Rights and operating as an over-the-cap team this summer before re-signing him, or renouncing him and chasing a replacement starting center in free agency. The crop of free-agent centers isn't exactly inspiring, and Nurkic will likely come relatively cheap to bring back. He even expressed confidence in Portland's direction after the Clippers trade, reiterating his desire to play with Lillard as long as possible.

“When you understand the point, at least what they’re trying to do, I think they’re going in the direction to win,” he said after the Blazers' loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder last week. “Maybe sometimes take one step back to go two forwards. When you look at it just as a fan, do you like it? Maybe not. But I think bigger picture, obviously they tried to free some money so they can sign players they want. I feel the same about it because I know Dame is here, and I know as long as Dame is here they’re gonna want to win.”

All signs point to the Blazers keeping Nurkic for the foreseeable future. But as Portland considers every available path toward retooling around Lillard, it's not quite a foregone conclusion he returns