Portland Trail Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers responded to a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Thursday that Nike founder Phil Knight and Los Angeles Dodgers part-owner Alan Smolinisky made an offer of more than $2 billion for the team.

"An offer was made by Phil Knight," the team said in a statement. "The team remains not for sale."

Woj reported that Knight and Smolinisky are expected to continue seeking a purchase, however:

The Paul G. Allen Trust is currently operating the franchise and is run by Allen's sister Jody. Paul Allen died in 2018.

Allen, who co-founded Microsoft alongside Bill Gates, purchased the team in 1988. He also purchased the Seattle Seahawks in 1997 and was a part-owner of MLS's Seattle Sounders.

The Paul Allen Trust still oversees the Blazers and Seahawks and holds a 20 percent stake in the Sounders.

Under the watch of the Allens and Paul's trust, the Blazers have reached the postseason 26 times in the past 34 years, an excellent run of consistency.

Knight's Nike roots and longtime support of his alma mater, Oregon, "reflect the prospective ownership group's desire to keep the team in Portland for the long term," sources told Wojnarowski.

On the basketball side, the Blazers are retooling around Damian Lillard, as first-year general manager Joe Cronin and second-year head coach Chauncey Billups attempt to put a contender around the 31-year-old superstar.

The 2021-22 season was just the second time the Blazers have missed the playoffs in Lillard's career.

Nike founder Phil Knight has reportedly made a $2 billion bid to buy the Portland Trail Blazers along with Los Angeles Dodgers part owner Alan Smolinisky, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Wojnarowski indicated the presence of Knight in the ownership group would likely keep the team in Portland. Knight is a native of Portland and a University of Oregon alum who has kept Nike headquartered in Oregon.

Previous Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen died in 2018, with his trust leaving instructions that the team must be sold, per John Conzano. His sister, Jody Allen, has run the organization in recent years, but insiders expected the team to be put up for auction in the next 6-18 months.

Bert Kolde, the vice chair of the Blazers, is reportedly in charge of the sale of the franchise and is seeking $3 billion, per Conzano.

The Trail Blazers were not listed among Forbes' 50 most valuable sports franchises in 2021, which means their valuation is less than the Cleveland Browns at $2.35 billion. The projected bid would still be among the highest prices for a franchise in NBA history, just under the Houston Rockets selling for $2.2 billion in 2017.

Conzano previously reported the team still wants to remain in Portland and is negotiating a renewal of its lease, which expires in 2025.

Knight, who retired as chairman of Nike in 2016, has a reported net worth of $47.3 billion and is currently the 27th richest person in the world, per Forbes.

Smolinisky would be making his second venture into professional sports after joining the Dodgers ownership team in 2019, seven years after the MLB franchise was sold to Guggenheim Baseball Management for $2 billion.

The Portland Trail Blazers reportedly remain the most likely suitor for Jerami Grant this offseason.

James L. Edwards III and Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reported the Blazers plan to pick up their pursuit of a trade for the Detroit Pistons forward this offseason. Portland has been mentioned as a suitor for Grant for several months, dating back to before the 2022 NBA trade deadline.

Marc Stein previously reported the Blazers offered Josh Hart and draft compensation for Grant at the deadline. The Pistons declined, believing they could land a better deal during the offseason.

Grant signed a three-year, $60 million contract in Detroit ahead of the 2020-21 season, as he looked to showcase his ability to handle a larger offensive role. He averaged 20.9 points and 4.4 rebounds over the last two seasons with the Pistons while largely serving as their top defender on the perimeter.

Injuries limited Grant to just 101 games over those two seasons, so that's something any potential suitor will have to factor in during trade talks.

Blazers star Damian Lillard and Grant grew a friendship playing together on Team USA at the 2020 Olympic Games that has been the main reason for Portland's interest. Lillard is coming off the worst season of his NBA career, suffering through an abdominal injury that limited him to 29 games and left him an inferior version of himself when he did play. The six-time All-Star set career lows with 40.2 percent from the field and 32.4 percent from three-point range.

Trades of CJ McCollum, Norman Powell, Larry Nance Jr. and Robert Covington essentially stripped the Blazers roster to its barest form. The Blazers will need to re-sign rising guard Anfernee Simons and make a decision about the long-term future of unrestricted free agent Jusuf Nurkic this offseason, but they should be one of a select few teams with meaningful salary-cap space on the open market.

It's more than likely Portland will attempt to use a combination of Hart and draft picks to entice the Pistons again this offseason, given the team does not have much else to offer assetwise. 

The Portland Trail Blazers are reportedly turning to the media to find their new assistant general manager.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported ESPN's draft analyst Mike Schmitz will be Portland's new assistant general manager. "Schmitz will play a significant role with new GM Joe Cronin in leading the Blazers' domestic and international scouting departments," Wojnarowski wrote.

The reported hire generated plenty of positive reaction:       

Schmitz's biography on ESPN's website says he "discovers and analyzes top NBA prospects both stateside and abroad, spending 2-3 months per year overseas in both Europe and Africa in search of the next wave of NBA stars."

Given that experience, he should be plenty familiar with some of the top international prospects who could be available for the Trail Blazers. He was also recently in Chicago for the 2022 NBA draft combine.

Schmitz joins a Trail Blazers squad that took a step back this season.

After going to the playoffs eight straight years, they were just 27-55 as Damian Lillard dealt with injury concerns and CJ McCollum was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. Getting a healthy Lillard back should help them compete, but the front office will need to make a number of moves to return to the upper-echelon of the Western Conference.

Fortunately for Portland, it has three picks in the upcoming NBA draft that could help it do just that.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman projected the team to take Duke's AJ Griffin with the No. 7 pick, Duke's Trevor Keels with the No. 36 pick and Overtime Elite's Dominick Barlow with the No. 59 pick.        

Portland Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin might be emulating Les Snead's approach in the 2022 NBA draft.

The Athletic's John Hollinger and Sam Vecenie reported Monday the Blazers "will push to immediately put a competitive team around Damian Lillard rather than start over." To that end, Portland is likely to deal the No. 7 pick in the draft.

Although Portland shipped out CJ McCollum ahead of the 2022 NBA trade deadline, Lillard's continued presence shows the franchise isn't looking to start a total rebuild.

The Blazers appear fully committed to the six-time All-Star, which could carry serious implications since he's eligible for free agency in 2024. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported in December how Lillard's status was impacting the organization's search for a new GM.

One can certainly discuss the merits of making a long-term commitment to a player who will turn 32 in July and missed games this past season because of a significant injury.

If this is the course the Blazers want to take, though, dealing the No. 7 pick makes more sense than keeping it.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman projected Portland to select Duke wing AJ Griffin.

Griffin averaged 10.4 points and 3.9 rebounds and shot 44.7 percent from beyond the arc in his one season at Duke. The 18-year-old could grow into a solid starter or rotational piece in the NBA, but the middle stage of the lottery isn't where teams typically unearth true stars.

Hollinger and Vecenie reported Detroit Pistons star Jerami Grant could be a target for the Blazers. ESPN's Brian Windhorst also reported on his Hoop Collective podcast on May 10 the team had "popped up" as a possible contender in the Zach LaVine sweepstakes.

A move for Grant or a sign-and-trade for LaVine would likely require the Blazers' first-rounder as part of the outgoing package, and in either case, they'd be getting more of a sure thing than what will be available in the draft.

The Phoenix Suns were eliminated from the postseason on Sunday in a blowout 123-90 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals.

Now heading into the offseason, Suns center Deandre Ayton is likely set to be the most coveted young player available in free agency. The 23-year-old big man will be a restricted free agent after failing to come to terms on a rookie contract extension prior to the season.

One star player appears to have already expressed interest in adding Ayton to his team. Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard "liked" a tweet suggesting that Ayton take his talents up north:

While it's likely that Phoenix will be looking to retain Ayton, the situation between him and the franchise apparently isn't perfect. Ayton was held to just five points in 17 minutes during Sunday's loss. When asked why the center saw so little playing time, Suns head coach Monty Williams responded, "It's internal."

Lillard was limited to 29 games this season due to abdominal surgery, so he will surely be looking to have a bounce-back year. Adding a player like Ayton would give him a strong running mate to help Portland improve on its 27-55 finish in 2021-22.

If the stars ever manage to align, Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard has his sights set on playing alongside a two-time NBA MVP.

When asked Sunday by a Twitter user which current player he would choose to play with in order to help him get into the playoffs or to the NBA Finals, Lillard responded with Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.

It is tough to argue with Lillard's pick since Antetokounmpo is the reigning NBA Finals MVP after leading the Bucks to a championship last season.

He has also helped the Bucks make it to the playoffs in six consecutive seasons, which is the second-longest streak in franchise history.

Lillard knows a thing or two about getting to the playoffs, as he and the Blazers made it eight years in a row before finally missing out this season with a 27-55 record.

Dame's absence was a big reason for Portland's struggles since he was limited to just 29 games with an abdominal injury that required surgery.

Even during the Blazers' eight-year playoff streak, postseason success largely eluded them, however.

Portland only reached the Western Conference Finals once during that time and was eliminated in the first round five times.

With the Blazers trading away many of their top players this season, speculation arose regarding the franchise potentially parting ways with Lillard in a trade as well.

He is under contract through at least the 2023-24 season, though, and has made it clear on numerous occasions that he doesn't want to be traded.

Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo is the franchise guy in Milwaukee, and he is signed through at least 2025, so he isn't going anywhere in the near future either.

A Lillard-Antetokounmpo duo seems more like a pipe dream than anything at this point, but it is fun to think about two of the NBA's best scorers wearing the same uniform.

The Portland Trail Blazers have named Joe Cronin as their full-time general manager after firing Neil Olshey on Dec. 3. 

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Cronin will sign a four-year deal with the club.  

According to Wojnarowski, Portland's governors were "sold on Cronin's vision for the franchise and his ability to execute it" so much that they didn't bother going forward with a search outside of the organization to find a new general manager. 

The Blazers announced Olshey's firing after concluding their investigation into allegations he created a toxic work environment by bullying and intimidating staff members. 

Olshey joined the Blazers in June 2012 after spending nine years working with the Los Angeles Clippers. Portland made the playoffs in each of the past eight seasons but lost in the first round five times. 

The task for Cronin, who served as interim general manager to finish last season after Olshey's firing, will be to get the Blazers back on track on and off the court. 

Under first-year head coach Chauncey Billups, the team finished 27-55 and ranked last in the league with a minus-9.0 net rating, per Basketball Reference. 

There was a lot of speculation about the future of franchise superstar Damian Lillard last offseason. 

Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer said on The Mismatch podcast (h/t HoopsHype) in November that front-office executives around the league were waiting to see if Lillard would demand a trade: 

[Lillard] goes from making these vague comments about, 'Yeah, I don’t know how long I’ll be here' like weeks before the season to suddenly 'I’m all-in. There are front-office executives around the league who think this is a strategic choice by the Blazers, Dame’s group and all that in order to create leverage for the organization because right now around the league teams just want Dame. They don’t want CJ McCollum, they don’t want Jusuf Nurkic. They’re like, 'We’re gonna wait for Dame to demand a trade.'

Wojnarowski noted that Cronin "has vowed" to continued building around Lillard going forward. 

The 31-year-old still has two more guaranteed years and a player option for 2024-25 on the supermax extension he originally signed in June 2019. 

Cronin did do a good job of acquiring long-term assets prior to the trade deadline during the season. He added Josh Hart, Tomas Satoransky, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Didi Louzada in a midseason trade with the New Orleans Pelicans for CJ McCollum, Larry Nance Jr. and Tony Snell. 

The Blazers also received three draft picks in the trade, but New Orleans making the playoffs did alter when the first-round pick will convey. Instead of conveying this season, the Trail Blazers will get a 2025 first-rounder from the Milwaukee Bucks to complete the deal. 

Cronin originally joined the Blazers organization in 2006 as a basketball operations intern. He worked his way up to director of player personnel in 2014 before being named interim general manager last season. 

The Blazers have the sixth-best odds to win the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft lottery. They also own the No. 36 pick in this year's draft. 

Zach LaVine's return may not be in the bag for the Chicago Bulls as the two-time All-Star approaches unrestricted free agency.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported at the 22:00 mark of his Hoop Collective podcast Tuesday that the initial impression around the NBA was that LaVine was "off the market." Now, there isn't as much certainty that he'll stay in Chicago.

Windhorst added that the Portland Trail Blazers have "popped up" as a potential landing spot.

While LaVine hasn't stated he intends to leave the Bulls, Windhorst said recent comments the guard made changed the perception about what he'll do this summer.

"I plan to enjoy free agency," he told reporters. "We're going to have to experience A through Z without making any fast decisions. I think that's something me and [agent Rich Paul] are going to go through and experience."

The Blazers could be in play for a marquee free agent such as LaVine. Spotrac projects Portland could have as much as $48.4 million in salary-cap space, with much of that money coming by renouncing cap holds for Joe Ingles, Jusuf Nurkic and Anfernee Simons.

Interim general manager Joe Cronin traded CJ McCollum, Larry Nance Jr., Robert Covington and Norman Powell ahead of the trade deadline in February. Rather than tearing it all down, however, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Blazers had every intention of building another contender around Damian Lillard.

The overarching question is whether chasing LaVine is a worthwhile pursuit for the organization.

LaVine can earn as much as $212.3 million over five years from the Bulls. Another team can put $157.4 million over four years on the table.

Either way, that's a lot of money to pay a player who, while very good, isn't an elite star. In five years with the Bulls, he's averaging 24.4 points and 4.4 assists and shooting 38.9 percent from beyond the arc.

LaVine might also be undergoing surgery this offseason to address a lingering knee injury.

By pairing LaVine with Lillard, Portland might risk putting itself exactly where it was a few years go. The Lillard-McCollum partnership helped guide the Blazers to eight straight playoff trips, but only once did they get past the conference semifinals.

The franchise was a consistent winner in the regular season but had a firm ceiling in the postseason. Considering Lillard will turn 32 in July and missed 53 games because of an abdominal injury, going big-game hunting in free agency might be an example of Cronin throwing good money after bad.

Before the Portland Trail Blazers wrapped up their season against the Utah Jazz on Sunday, star point guard Damian Lillard had a message for the home crowd at the Moda Center:

Lillard was referring to the team's abysmal performance this year, as Portland has a 27-54 record entering Sunday's contest. It will be the Blazers' worst record since drafting Lillard in 2012, and it will end a run of eight consecutive playoff appearances.

Portland's season was mired by injuries and a roster teardown. Lillard hasn't played since the end of December after he suffered an abdominal injury that required surgery. Anfernee Simons (knee), Jusuf Nurkic (foot) and Eric Bledsoe (Achilles) were all shut down for the remainder of the season at the end of March. The Blazers shipped away key players CJ McCollum, Norman Powell and Robert Covington at this year's trade deadline.

With a fully healthy Lillard and the player they take with their 2022 lottery pick, the Blazers should be back in the postseason conversation next year.