The Trail Blazers are tasked with building a legitimate title contender around Damian Lillard with limited resources this offseason. When it comes to payroll, the Blazers currently have nine players under contract for next season. That number could quickly drop to eight players if Norman Powell opts out of his final year in hopes of securing a larger contract.
The combination of open roster spots and existing payroll have the Blazers headed above the tax line this offseason. In a league-wide free agency primer, CBS Sports NBA contributor Sam Quinn placed Portland in a category featuring teams that are headed for the tax.