5 players the Portland Trail Blazers should consider trading up for

The Portland Trail Blazers hold the No. 24 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. If the Blazers want to add a star through the draft, they will have to move up. Here are some players the Blazers should consider trading up for.

The 2018 NBA Draft is less than a week away, and the next batch of stars are about to hear their names called this Thursday night. The Portland Trail Blazers have been searching for a third star. If they want to get one this draft, they will have to move up from No. 24. This draft is loaded with talent, and some 5-8 guys have the potential to be All-Stars.

The Blazers and their fans are in win-now mode and may not want to develop a rookie, but the organization may feel like they can get a guy who can come in right away and contribute like Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell and Kyle Kuzma. Or maybe the Blazers decide to take a step back this summer, blow the team up and add young talent to build around for the future. Regardless of what their plans are, adding a guy with star potential on a rookie-scale deal will benefit the Blazers.

There have been multiple rumors leading up to the draft that teams in the upper part of the lottery are taking trade calls on their picks. According to The Athletic, the Memphis Grizzlies have been shopping the No. 4 pick attached with Chandler Parsons and his hefty contract. Another rumor from the Sacramento Bee is that the Sacramento Kings are making the No. 2 pick available for the right deal.

If the Blazers want to enter the lottery, I’m sure they can find a team willing to make a deal. Portland would have to move a guy like Maurice Harkless, Al-Farouq Aminu or Zach Collins to make a trade with another team, and depending on how far up they’re looking, perhaps even someone like C.J. McCollum. But if they feel like they can get a star, they could potentially move up. Let’s take a look at five players that the Blazers should trade up for.