Just two days prior to Thursday’s NBA trade deadline and the chatter surrounding the Portland Trail Blazers has been minimal.
So much so that their coach hasn’t bothered to deliver a pep talk on how to navigate what’s often a tense moment of the season filled with uncertainty.
“I haven’t really had to this year, talk to anybody,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said following Tuesday’s practice. “The guys whose names will be out there, Malcolm (Brogdon) … Those guys have been a part of this thing for a long time. They understand. Their maturity level is totally different. It doesn’t change anything for them.”
Brogdon’s name has been floated around. But nothing concrete. In fact, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported this week that there is a strong chance Brogdon remains in a Blazers uniform. Some reports have mentioned potential trade scenarios involving Jerami Grant. But, as with Brogdon, nothing appears to have legs.
Unless the Blazers can acquire relatively young players with upside who figure into the team’s future plans, making a move just to make a move could be counterproductive.
