Portland Trail Blazers at the trade deadline: Choosing a direction
Win Now Rob – The Blazers need to cash out their young assets asap
Damian Lillard is still playing in his prime, but that prime isn’t going to last forever. Every playoff year spent without maximizing the roster around Lillard is another year of wasting Lillard’s talents. As much as I get excited about young players, there is a time to move those pieces while their “Potential” is still high.
Two hypothetical trades Rob would like to see happen
- Portland sends Rodney Hood/Derrick Jones Jr./2nd round 2022 pick to San Antonio for Lamarcus Aldridge.
- Portland sends Zach Collins/Nassir Little to Houston for P.J. Tucker.
The Blazers move forward with a starting lineup of Dame/CJ/Robert Covington/Aldridge/Nurkic. Then Simons/GTJ/Carmelo Anthony/Tucker/Enes Kanter are the main bench reserves. That gives Dame some veterans to both balance the starting unit offensively, as well as defensively off the bench.
To a large degree, this season, LaMarcus Aldridge has been limited by health and age. It’s been noticeable stat-wise along with lackadaisical defense, but how much of that is because of him getting fewer minutes and holding himself back a bit knowing an impending trade was coming? Despite his faults, Aldridge knows the system in Portland, and he’s a player that can still be very effective offensively for the team.
You have to move contracts to match up salaries as well. Portland has to move players like Gary Trent Jr., Anfernee Simons, Collins, and Nassir Little to help facilitate trades that bring In veterans who can help RIGHT NOW. If Olshey could finagle a deal of P.J. Tucker for Collins and Little, it helps build this team into a winner. A solid veteran with postseason experience, who can play solid defense and knock down threes at a high clip, is a must-have for every team hoping for playoff success.
Lillard needs help around him to take the pressure off. Aldridge would force opposing defenses to pick their poison down low. They either defend Kanter/Nurkic or defend Aldridge. For example, if Portland meets the Lakers in the playoffs again. We’ve seen how Anthony Davis gives Nurkic fits. But what if Davis had to guard Aldridge instead? Even an older Aldridge is hard for Gasol to defend. It would become a pick your poison situation for the Lakers. Not to mention, Aldridge would be another pick and roll/pick and pop player for Lillard and CJ to utilize on offense.
Next: Page 3 – Stay the course