Portland Trail Blazers: 5 potential deals before 2018 NBA trade deadline
By Ty Delbridge
1. Derrick Favors
Derrick Favors is still only 26 years old and is playing in his eighth season in the NBA. He has one year left on his deal and is set to make $12 million this season.
This season he is averaging 12.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 blocks per game. He is shooting 54.9 percent from the field.
Favors could start for the Blazers, and they could move Aminu to the small forward spot. Favors doesn’t shoot 3-pointers, so he wouldn’t provide much space. He can score in the post and mid-range. He is also a good rebounder on both ends of the floor. Favors could play both power forward and center for Portland.
He is a reliable screen-setter in the pick-and-roll and knows how to defend the rim on defense.
The Blazers could trade for Favors if they feel like he would help them in the playoffs. They could also trade for him to get another expiring contract and maybe clear some cap space this offseason. Portland could let Favors walk in free agency since it’s stocked up on players in the frontcourt.
Why the Jazz might do this trade
The Jazz get an expiring contract and a good player in Ed Davis. Davis could be a guy the Jazz bring back this summer cheaper than Favors would have been. Or they could save money and let him walk.
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They also gain Harkless to help out with the defense on the wing. He also has the skill-set to play some small-ball power forward. Harkless has three more years left on his deal, but he is still young enough that he hasn’t reached his full potential in the NBA.