PORTLAND, Ore. — Malcolm Brogdon is still here. So are Jerami Grant, Matisse Thybulle and Robert Williams III. The Portland Trail Blazers held onto their veteran players at the NBA trade deadline, which came and went at noon Thursday.
The Blazers did make one minor move, which was announced right as the deadline came, sending a "heavily protected second-round pick" to the Boston Celtics for guard Dalano Banton, reported Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
The reaction from most Blazers fans was probably, "who?"
Banton, 24, a 6-foot-9 guard, was a second-round pick (No. 46 overall) of the Toronto Raptors in 2021. In his 2021 NBA draft guide, Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer called him a "tall playmaker who needs to improve his jumper and defense." He's played in 119 games over the past three seasons. This season in Boston, he played in 24 games, averaging 2.3 points in 7.1 minutes per contest.
How heavily protected is that second-round pick? Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported it's a 2027 Top-55 protected pick, which means unless it falls among the final five picks of the second round that year, Portland will keep it. The pick is unlikely to convey to Boston.
The bigger story was that the Blazers didn't trade any of their veterans, particularly Brogdon. He'd been a popular trade target since Portland acquired him before the start of the season, but he openly lobbied to stick in Portland past the deadline and the Blazers valued his production (15.7 points, 5.5 assists, 3.8 rebounds in 28.7 minutes per game) and leadership more than whatever trade offers other teams may have presented.
Other teams who traded veteran guards Thursday received middling trade returns, mostly consisting of salary filler and second-round draft picks. Brogdon still has one year left on his contract beyond this season, so the Blazers can wait and see if his trade market improves this summer around the NBA draft.
In other transactions Thursday, the Blazers signed 6-3 guard Ashton Hagans, who plays for Portland's G League team, to a 10-day contract, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported. He's averaged 15.3 points, 9.6 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 15 games for the Rip City Remix. The Blazers confirmed they signed him to a 10-day contract.
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