NBA Free Agency grades continue to roll in as the first week of the annual off-season event comes to a close. The Portland Trail Blazers aren’t exactly burning up the charts, having made no signings, one trade, and a big waiver move. They are getting notice from ESPN for being a part of the latest NBA trend: double big men.
Multiple NBA franchises have jumped on the two-center bandwagon. The San Antonio Spurs picked up Luke Kornet in free agency to go with Victor Wembanyama. The Denver Nuggets acquired Jonas Valanciunas to pair with Nikola Jokic.
Along with those veterans, two teams went with young players to improve their frontcourt. The Phoenix Suns drafted Khaman Maluach, simultaneously trading for veteran center Mark Williams. The Blazers went rookie-sophomore, adding Chinese sensation Yang Hansen to last year’s lottery pick Donovan Clingan. It may not exactly be Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, but it’s a start. And hey, it’s pretty cool to see Portland mentioned as winners in any scope.
For reference, the Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, and the Nuggets were mentioned as outright winners in the piece. The New Orleans Pelicans, Milwaukee Bucks, and Los Angeles Lakers—former Blazers center Deandre Ayton’s new team—were tabbed as losers.