Joe Cronin’s bold trade wins are making up for Blazers’ draft misses

Reese Kunz of Rip City Project argues that Portland Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin has overcome poor draft results through exceptional trades. The writer points out that while first-round picks like Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe have underwhelmed, deals bringing in players like Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, Jrue Holiday, and Ja Morant have reshaped the roster into a competitive squad.

Kunz suggests the Trail Blazers should lean further into Cronin's strength as a negotiator rather than relying on future draft selections. With Milwaukee Bucks draft capital still in hand from the Damian Lillard deal, the writer believes Portland can leverage Cronin's ability to capitalize on rival teams' roster situations to land another established piece.