The Portland Trail Blazers have had one of there best starts since 2015. They sit at 6th in the west at 25-16 despite losing two if their starters for a good portion of the season, not to mention a spate of other injuries.
Star Damian Lillard has held the team together with super human performances game after game and in true MVP styke willed his team to victory after victory. With CJ McCollum already back, and Jusuf Nurkic’s return inevitable, the Blazers could conceivably just stand pat.
They could also look to improve an already deep roster. They might not be able to afford Gary Trent Jr next season. Rodney Hood’s unguaranteed $10 million contract could be part of a package to bring in a larger salary player.
The Blazers could also look to sign players off the buyout market as rebuilding teams extricate themselves from costly veterans no longer in their future plans in order to make salary space.
Here are some trade scenarios at the deadline for the Blazers at the deadline.
Scenario #1
POR Trades:
Rodney Hood
Zach Collins
Anfernee Simons
Future 1st rnd pick (protected)
ORL Trades
Aaron Gordon
Blazers sign LaMarcus Aldridge on Vet min after the Spurs buy him out.
ROSTER:
Lillard/McCollum
McCollum/Trent Jr/Elleby
Covington/Jones Jr/Melo/Little
Gordon/Aldridge /Melo
Nurkic/Kanter/Giles
Scenario #2
POR Trades
Robert Covington
Rodney Hood
Zach Collins
Trent Jr
OKC Trades
Al Horford
Luguentz Dort
Kendrick Williams
Future 1st rnd pick
Sign Aldridge or another player with Vet min
Roster:
Lillard/CJ/Simons
CJ/Dort/Simons
Melo/Jones Jr/Little/Williams
Horford/Aldridge
Nurkic/Kanter/Giles
Scenario #3
Por trades
Rodney Hood
Gary Trent Jr
Cavs Trade
Larry Nance Jr
Future 1st rnd Pick
Sign a guard on the buyout market
Roster:
Lillard/CJ
CJ/Simons/Buyout?
Jones Jr/ Melo/Little
Roco/Nance Jr
Nurkic/Kanter
Scenario #4
Por trades:
CJ McCollum (To NYK)
Jusuf Nurkic (To Minn)
Anfernee Simons (NYK)
Future 1st (Minn)
Future 1st (NYK)
Future 2nd (NYK)
MInn trades:
Karl-Anthony Towns (Portland)
NYK TRADES
Julius Randle (Minn)
Immanuel Quickley (POR)
Frank Ntikikina (POR)
Roster:
Lillard/Ntilikina
Trent Jr/Quickley
Jones Jr/Little
Roco/Melo
Towns/Kanter/Giles
Fill out roster with players off the buyout market for vet mins.
I see portions of scenario 1 and 2 on the table. I doubt scenario 3 or 4 will happen in any way !
ReplyI question the existence of internal descent among team members preceding last two games.
* The smell of trade in the air……
* The coach stating on air before last nights game that home court doesn’t mean anything anymore following worst defeat at home in franchise history.
* The team last night getting beat in the paint “Horribly” for 3/4 of game when they were having to play much smaller and without two of their better players.
??? Looks suspicious……
ReplyThe Brooklin team Much Smaller and without two of their better players !!
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