Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups calls out a play during a recent game at the Moda Center.

Simply put, the Portland Trail Blazers allowed Thursday’s NBA trade deadline to come and go without making a deal because general manager Joe Cronin did not identify any trade scenarios he believed would help the team’s long-term plans.

“We know a lot of fans, and probably a lot of people in here, prefer a little bit of action,” Cronin said Thursday before the Blazers hosted the Sacramento Kings at the Moda Center. “Often, we do too. We’re always looking for ways to participate in these windows and find guys who can help us be better. But this time around, we just didn’t find the value. So, we decided to pass.”

The Blazers, who have won 10 of their last 11 games after later edging the Kings, were one of only a handful of teams that did not make a deal by the deadline. The league set a record with 63 players changing teams before the deadline, including stars Luka Doncic, Anthony Davis, De’Aaron Fox, Zach LaVine, Jimmy Butler and Brandon Ingram.

The Blazers were likely never going to land a big-ticket player, but they did come close to completing a deal or two.

“I would say we got fairly close on a few things,” Cronin said. “Nothing that dragged out all the way through today. Some of the stuff was exhausted over the last couple of weeks. There are a few that made some sense for us and for the other team, but just didn’t happen.”

Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said he was pleased with how things turned out.

“I love what we have,” he said. “I love what we’ve been working on. I love how we’re developing. Right now, we’re learning a lot about each other. It’s been a lot of fun.”

Changes to the collective bargaining agreement led to new restrictions that made teams hold on tight to their draft capital. The Blazers’ goal was to trade for young players who fit the team’s future or to acquire first-round draft picks. Just six first-round picks were dealt during the trading frenzy.

“I think that definitely tightened up in this transaction cycle,” Cronin said. “So, it’ll be interesting to see if that continues to be tighter or if that loosens up a little bit.”

Trading veterans Anfernee Simons, Jerami Grant, Robert Williams III or Deandre Ayton for second-round picks and the matching contracts of players that did not interest the Blazers wouldn’t have been prudent. So, the Blazers will wait to see what offers could materialize over the summer or by next year’s deadline. Or, a combination of the four players could remain with the Blazers for the long term.

Negotiations that fell through could be revisited. Cronin said he laid the groundwork for potential deals similar to the work he did prior to the deadlines in 2022 and 2024.

While shopping guard Malcolm Brogdon before last year’s deadline, Cronin had discussions with Washington about Deni Avdija that ultimately fell through. Roughly four months later, the teams completed a draft-day deal for Avdija that Cronin said went smoothly because of prior talks.

In 2022, the Blazers failed to acquire Grant from Detroit before the deadline. Before the draft, the two teams completed a deal that brought Grant to Rip City.

“That provides value,” Cronin said regarding deadline trade discussions. “You know what each team is looking for. You have a bit of a foundation about what the package would look like, and it’s just sorting out all the details.”

Potentially complicating matters for the Blazers is their recent run after a 13-28 start. The Blazers (23-29) are 2½ games out of ninth in the Western Conference. In theory, that could have given Cronin pause when considering trading key veterans. But he said that wasn’t the case.

“I think our approach remained the same,” Cronin said. “We’re heavily focused on the big picture. While we’re happy about the way things are going, of course, my job is to weigh that and make sure that I’m putting the right dynamics around this team. And I had to consider not rocking the boat. But big picture is way more important for me. I want to build a sustained winner. And the way we played recently didn’t really weigh on these decisions.”

Still, the development of young players Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, Toumani Camara and Avdija, coupled with improved chemistry, makes this team appealing as is.

“We have a group of guys that we’re really excited about,” Cronin said. “A group of guys that at the start of the season we wanted to see take big steps, both individually and collectively. And we’ve seen a lot of that this season. So, for us, it’s let’s keep going. Let’s keep building. Let’s keep getting better day to day. And when this next transaction window hits this summer, we’ll see what that entails.”

For now, the team’s overall goal remains the same.

The danger of keeping around veterans and young talent is landing on two conflicting timelines. But Cronin said there’s value in having veterans around to help younger players learn how to win.

“We intentionally have veterans around these guys for a lot of reasons to provide leadership, to provide functionality on the court, to provide more talent to a group that may not be ready to compete on a nightly basis,” Cronin said.

Eventually, the Blazers must pick a long-term lane. But for now, the focus has shifted to chasing an improbable shot of reaching the play-in. That’s a departure from the expected goal of chasing a high 2025 draft pick.

“I think it would be unfair to take it away from them,” Cronin said of the team’s chances to reach the postseason. “I’m so proud and so excited about these guys that the sky’s the limit. Go win. Let’s see what you can do.”