The Portland Trail Blazers have fully embraced the rebuild. After finishing 21-61 last season, the team shed a veteran contract (Malcolm Brogdon) in exchange for savings, draft equity and youth (Deni Avdija).
Should Portland look to trade for a few more young players as it prepares for its future? Absolutely. Here are some interesting “buy low” candidates that likely won’t cost more than a second-round pick or two, plus a few salary-based contracts.
Mitchell, a former lottery pick, is now on his second team, the Toronto Raptors, where he will play behind starter Immanuel Quickley. Last year with the Sacramento Kings, in 72 healthy games (including four as a starter), Mitchell averaged just 5.3 points on .452/.361/.714 shooting, 1.9 assists and 1.3 rebounds in 15.3 minutes per game — a far cry from his rookie season under former head coach Luke Walton. This first year in the NBA, he averaged 11.5 points on .418/.316/.659 shooting, 4.2 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 0.7 steals per game.
The 6-foot-2 point guard could be a useful addition to Portland because he brings exactly what the Trail Blazers lack: top-notch defense. Mitchell is still on his rookie contract, so one might rightly wonder why Toronto would feel the rush to get rid of him. If Cronin and his scouts thought Mitchell could be worth a couple of second-round picks, it might at least behoove them to consider a trade.
In terms of free agent options, former Orlando Magic point guard Markelle Fultz remains very available and could be picked up for likely a minimum contract at this point. While he was disappointing as a former No. 1 overall pick, he showed similar solid defensive acumen — albeit with a much longer criminal record.
Collins has had a decidedly uneven professional career. His first four seasons with the team were all pretty much on an upward trajectory. The 2.05-m forward was named an All-Rookie Teamer in 2017-18, then saw his scoring nearly double, from 10.5 points to 19.5, in 2018-19. His rebounding also improved markedly, from 7.3 to 9.8. As a result, Collins finished ninth in Most Improved Player voting for a struggling Hawks club. Collins was a key starting scorer for Atlanta en route to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2020-21, though his scoring declined for the first time in the league.
He was traded to the Jazz in the offseason, as his defensive woes had him all but on the trade list for his final seasons in Atlanta. Last year with the Jazz, who were expected to enter the lottery, Collins averaged a respectable 15.1 points and 8.5 rebounds — hardly negligible numbers, to be sure, but because of his defense, he’s still considered vastly overpaid as he finishes the final two seasons of a lucrative five-year, $125 million contract. Collins, 26, like Deandre Ayton before him, could cook in a less stressful environment.
I’m kidding. We had to make sure you were paying attention.
While the 6-foot-2 power forward looks like he’s been around forever, Williams is still just 25 years old. As a nimble but small 13-footer who doesn’t exactly lack confidence, Williams is an intriguing player who would probably be best served as the eighth man on a competitive team. That said, on a forward-heavy Hornets team, he may not really thrive.
Williams spent his first four seasons with the Boston Celtics, before splitting the 2023-24 season between the Dallas Mavericks and Charlotte Hornets. After being traded to Charlotte, Williams averaged 13.9 points on .503/.373/.765 shooting, 5.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 0.7 steals per game while starting just 10 of 29 appearances. He could earn more points on a Trail Blazers team that could use some offensive help.
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