The General Manager Joe Cronin of Portland Trail Blazers has finally agreed with the deal transaction for….

The roster of the Portland Trail Blazers is diverse and young. Even though they haven’t achieved success yet, practically every player offers optimism for the future. On the other hand, identifying certainties is challenging. The question for today’s Blazer’s Edge Mailbag is in the middle of the two. Examine it.

I wouldn’t say I’m down on this roster as much as I’m realistic about it. They won 21 games for a reason. Or, well, several reasons. As we talked about yesterday, health was a factor, but not necessarily the only determining one. The Blazers are in a state of flux. As they’re finding their new course, they’re suffering. Nothing we say is going to change that, nor should anything we say obscure it.

Talent is one metric used in retaining players. The Blazers have some of that, especially with their cache of young veterans…an oxymoronic but apt phrase. Talent alone doesn’t guarantee longevity, though. Connection and direction matter.

When considering this question, I find myself asking who on this team actually grew this year. I don’t mean among the untried rookies and end-of-bench projects. Some growth there is natural. Which players for whom we have a track record truly stepped forward this season, indicating that they’re progressing on their way to a bright future?

Jerami Grant had a pretty solid season maybe. Anfernee Simons looked like more Anfernee Simons. Shaedon Sharpe, no. Deandre Ayton, no. Jabari Walker, I guess.

That’s the hard part in assessing the Blazers right now. The franchise and its players are muddling around in circles. Nobody knows what the journey forward will look like, or even when it’ll start. If this year’s draft turns out to be as big of a bust as advertised, they may not hit the highway on-ramp until the Fall of 2025. The complexion of the team and its contract ledger could look different then.

As such, I’m tempted to give the easy, flippant answer that nobody currently on the roster is guaranteed to be here in 4-5 years. That’s the most honest overlook: nobody is safe.

In the spirit of inquiry, though, let’s get a little more granular.

I’m going to assume that at least one of the Sharpe-Scoot-Simons triangle stays. That’s their big area of experiment. Abandoning it entirely doesn’t seem likely. I’d be shocked if all three of them are still here, particularly with Simons angling for a major veteran contract. It probably won’t be none and it probably won’t be three. Pick the one or two you want to ride with and take your chances.

I do not expect Jerami Grant to be with the team that long. He’d be 34 or 35 at that point. The Blazers won’t win enough in the interim to justify keeping him. He’d be better suited for a contending team, the Blazers better off with assets they could obtain in return for him.