The Portland Trail Blazers call one of the best corners of the United States home. The Pacific Northwest is full of beautiful scenery, generally-friendly people, and some of the best cuisine in the country.
That hasn’t stopped Portland from earning one of the less distinguished designations on The Athletic’s NBA Player Poll [subscription required]. The media outlet surveyed players anonymously. Among the questions asked was, “Which team would you least like to be traded to?”
The Memphis Grizzlies topped
the list with a whopping 35.8% of the vote. The Washington Wizards came in a distant second with just under 12%, the Sacramento Kings third at approximately 11%.
The Trail Blazers, meanwhile, tied for seventh place with 4.2% of the vote, right alongside the Charlotte Hornets. After the Grizzlies, who have somehow earned the ire of (comparatively) everyone, most of the less-favored teams share commonalities. They’ve been struggling to succeed, they’re in small markets, or both. Since the Blazers could qualify in each category, it’s probably a mark of pride that they aren’t higher on the list. In fact, the team right below Portland is none other than the New York Knicks, a mecca of basketball and a huge market.
Here’s the list and the percentages.
- Memphis Grizzlies — 35.8%
- Washington Wizards — 11.7%
- Sacramento Kings — 10.8%
- New Orleans Pelicans — 6.7%
- Brooklyn Nets— 5%
- Utah Jazz — 5%
- Charlotte Hornets — 4.2%
- Portland Trail Blazers — 4.2%
- New York Knicks — 3.3%
- Detroit Pistons — 2.5%
- Indiana Pacers — 2.5%
- Milwaukee Bucks — 1.7%
- Los Angeles Lakers — 1.7%
Not too shabby, Blazers. Not too shabby.
