The Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers took drastically different approaches to the 2023 NBA Trade Deadline.
The Kings, who were in the third seed in the Western Conference at the time, stayed put outside of taking on Kessler Edwards from the Brooklyn Nets, acquiring a second-round pick in the process, as they allowed the Nets to duck a bit of the lottery tax.
It was a different story for the Portland Trail Blazers, who took a couple of additional steps forward in a sure-to-be-long process in trying to field a contending roster around Damian Lillard during the remainder of his prime.
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Their first move came when they dealt away Josh Hart to the New York Knicks in return for Cam Reddish and the Knicks’ lottery-protected first-round pick in the upcoming draft.
Shortly after that deal was announced, two teams were added in the Philadelphia 76ers and Charlotte Hornets, and the Blazers wound up acquiring Matisse Thybulle as well, giving up an additional two second-round picks to make it happen.
Later on, they’d move Gary Payton II back to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for five second-rounders, most of which had elaborate protections on them.
Overnight, the Blazers’ entire wing rotation was completely revamped, as they traded away two similar defensive-minded forwards, for younger, longer, more athletic versions in Reddish and Thybulle. Both have been impressive in their short splints with Portland so far, contrary to the initial reactions of the Blazers fanbase.
Reddish quickly showed off some of the fluidity that made him such a tantalizing prospect in his 6’8, athletic frame. While his 3-point shooting has been characteristically streaky, his presence as a two-way wing has made life easier on Dame and the rest of the Blazers on both ends of the court.
Thybulle also arrived to much grandeur, hitting four of his six 3-point attempts in his debut. While he followed that game up with a 2-point performance in his second outing with the Blazers, his activity and impact on defense have been palpable and a much-needed buoy for Portland’s middling unit on that end of the court.
The Blazers have limped into the All-Star break, losing starting center Jusuf Nurkic for the past couple of weeks and Jerami Grant for the final few games after he entered concussion protocol.
It will be interesting to see what the new-look Blazers can do at full strength, and they’ll have a great chance to prove their place in the West when they take on one of the hottest teams in the league in the Sacramento Kings upon their return.
The Kings are back and so is @will_zimmerle!!! https://t.co/Go6m4dimAo
— ESPN 1320 Sacramento (@ESPN1320) February 23, 2023
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| Title: Portland Trail Blazers vs Sacramento Kings betting preview
| Author: Andy Quach
| Date: Feb 23, 2023