Blazers' GM on rebuild: 'Absent Aldridge, that group wasn't going to be good enough'
After topping 50 wins in each of their past two seasons, the Portland Trail Blazers opted for a dramatic rebuild this summer.
Trail Blazers general manager Neil Olshey wildly reshaped his roster. Having lost four of his five starters, Olshey moved quickly to replenish his roster with high-upside prospects.
They'll likely struggle next year, but the Trail Blazers' moves were made with the future in mind.
Olshey told Michael Lee of the Washington Post that LaMarcus Aldridge's decision to sign with the San Antonio Spurs pushed him to rebuild.
"Absent LaMarcus Aldridge, that group was not going to be good enough," Olshey said. "We judge ourselves by high standards and if we can’t compete at the highest levels, then we had to go in a different direction."
Aldridge was the centerpiece of Portland's offense. With him gone, there was no need to retain the supporting cast. After all, the Blazers went 3-7 without Aldridge last season and face the daunting challenge of competing in the hyper-competitive Western Conference.
Therefore, with Aldridge gone, Olshey didn't bother chasing after his other veteran free agents. Robin Lopez, Wesley Matthews, and Arron Afflalo left without much of a fight, while the Trail Blazers spent their money elsewhere.
Matthews, for one, was offended by the lack of interest from Portland.
Meanwhile, Olshey also explored the trade route. He jumped the gun by trading Nicolas Batum before free agency in a deal that brought a 2014 lottery selection in Noah Vonleh from the Charlotte Hornets.
Olshey also moved Steve Blake in a separate trade with the Brooklyn Nets.
In their place, Portland brought in three players on rookie-scale contracts between Vonleh, Mason Plumlee, and Maurice Harkless, while signing young veterans Al-Farouq Aminu and Ed Davis to reasonably priced contracts. Olshey also lavished their lone all-star in Damian Lillard with a five-year, $125-million extension.
Parting ways with veterans will also open up playing time for the Blazers' prospects. They'll have plenty of opportunities to evaluate players like Meyers Leonard and C.J. McCollum, who have been wedged into supporting roles in previous seasons.
There's little doubt Portland will be worse next season, but given the options before him, Olshey did the right thing by moving on. Moving forward with a clean break is always better than holding onto something that's no longer there.