Trail Blazers Rumors: Ayton, Williams, Grant on Trade Block After Jrue Holiday Deal

The Portland Trail Blazers acquired veteran guard Jrue Holiday from the Boston Celtics late Monday night, and reports suggest they could be making another move soon.

Trail Blazers To Shop Deandre Ayton, Robert Williams III, And Jerami Grant

According to Brett Siegel of Clutch Points, the Blazers will “now [turn] their attention to the possibility of making further moves, with Deandre Ayton, Robert Williams III, and Jerami Grant on the trade block, sources said.”

The Blazers traded combo guard Anfernee Simons and second-round picks in 2030 and 2031 to acquire Holiday, who spent the last two years with the Celtics.

Portland had briefly acquired Holiday in the trade that sent All-Star guard Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks prior to the 2023 season before re-routing him to Boston.

Williams, Ayton Set To Enter Final Year Of Their Contracts

The Blazers this past season finished 36-46, missing the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season. Portland did, however, manage to win 15 more games than the previous year.

Williams and Ayton are entering the last year of their contracts. Grant, meanwhile, is slated to enter the third season of his five-year, $160 million contract in 2025-26.

Portland seeks internal development of its young players. The Blazers need a reserve veteran lead guard who can mentor Scoot Henderson. They also could use perimeter shooting, as the team ranked 25th in 3-point percentage.

Ayton, the No. 1 overall pick by the Phoenix Suns in the 2018 draft, never reached his full potential but has showed signs of being a productive center. The 7-footer averaged 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds in 2024-25.

Trio Played A Combined 107 Games In 2024-25

Grant and Williams are veterans who can provide a defensive boost, but both of them played under 50 games last season. When healthy, all three players can make a positive impact on any playoff contender.

But that’s just it: All three veterans are injury-prone players. A team would be rolling the dice by trading for a trio that played a combined 107 games this past campaign.

Out of the three, maybe Grant is the most reliable option. He averaged 14.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 32.4 minutes in 47 games (all starts) with the Trail Blazers in 2024-25.

According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the Blazers owe Chicago a top-14-protected first-round pick with the pick’s protection extending to 2028. They have the 2029 most- and least-favorable first of their own between Boston and Milwaukee, and have the right to swap first-rounders with Milwaukee in 2028 and 2030.

The swap rights in 2028 are eliminated if the Trail Blazers send Chicago their first that year. Portland has four first-round picks available to trade. They also have three seconds after trading two to Boston for Holiday.