Portland Trail Blazers: 4 Trade Deadline Week Rumors
An active trade season has sent rumors flying across the NBA. Here are four involving a Portland Trail Blazers team looking to make financial adjustments while trying to remain competitive on the floor.
On Sunday, Feb. 13, the Portland Trail Blazers acquired center Jusuf Nurkic and a 2017 first round draft pick from the Denver Nuggets. In exchange, the Blazers sent away center Mason Plumlee, a 2018 second round draft pick, and cash.
That trade put the Blazers on the board in what is shaping up to be a very active trade season.
Even in the wake of the trade, general manager Neil Olshey told Trail Blazers television reporter Brooke Olzendam (which was later transcribed by The Oregonian) that the team was still seeking deals.
"“Well, we’re active. You know I think this roster was always going to be a work in progress. We have the benefit of having Paul Allen as an owner. He let us retain all of our players. It wasn’t realistic to think we could manage that cap going forward. But what it did do is it put us in a position to keep as much as possible, give ourselves a chance to compete, but knowing at some point we’re going to have to make some moves. “I think Mason is an example of that. It’s not a player we wanted to lose. But the reality is from a cap standpoint we needed to go average down the salary but maintain our ability to compete, you know, now and in the future with not losing someone at that position.”"
The Blazers find themselves in an interesting position. Their 23-33 record puts them 10th in the Western Conference, two games behind the eighth place Nuggets. Portland is well in contention to make a run at one of the final Western Conference playoff spots.
However, the road to the postseason may have gotten tougher. The Sacramento Kings, the team sitting half a game ahead of Portland, just dealt their franchise cornerstone center DeMarcus Cousins to the New Orleans Pelicans, the team a half-game behind the Blazers.
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One has to wonder if Portland currently has enough to compete with a team in Denver that has rising stars Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, or a team in New Orleans that now has a frontcourt of veteran all-stars Cousins and Anthony Davis.
But the Blazers are in an intriguing position because they still have three first round picks that can be used to improve the team. They could use those picks in a trade that could bring a difference-maker that helps Portland’s postseason chances.
If they miss the playoffs, they could theoretically use all three in what is looking to be a deep draft to develop a younger, cheaper roster.
There are numerous possibilities for the Portland Trail Blazers leading up to the Feb. 23 trade deadline. Here are five trade rumblings involving the team.