Portland Trail Blazers: Should they trade for Joe Johnson?

The Portland Trail Blazers need some wing help, and Joe Johnson wants off his current team, the Utah Jazz. Should the Blazers try and acquire the veteran wing before the trade deadline this Thursday?

According to multiple sources, Joe Johnson wants off of the Utah Jazz and is pushing for a trade behind the scenes. The 16-year veteran has appeared in 30 games this season and is averaging 7.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.

He has fallen out of the rotation in Utah because of guys like Joe Ingles, Donovan Mitchell, Alec Burks and Jonas Jerebko.

Johnson is a 6’7″ wing that can play both shooting guard and small forward. He can handle the ball and be a point forward type of guy. He can create offense going one-on-one for himself or creating for his teammates.

The 36-year-old Johnson is currently on a one-year, $10 million deal and will be a free agent this summer.

Should the Blazers trade for Joe Johnson?

The Portland Trail Blazers are in need of a wing like Joe Johnson and could give the Jazz an excellent package to acquire him:

Why the Blazers make this trade

This deal saves the Blazers money and equips them with a player who fills some of their needs.

This trade allows the Blazers to get under the luxury tax this season and save long-term money by getting off of Maurice Harkless‘ contract. They move on from Noah Vonleh and would not have to worry about bringing him back this summer. He is set to be a restricted free agent, and right now, the Blazers are overstocked on big guys, so they could afford to let one go.

The Blazers and Joe Johnson seem like a perfect match at the moment. Portland needs a wing that can shoot, handle the ball and make plays. They also need to bring in guys who aren’t on long-term deals.

Johnson checks all of those boxes. The Blazers could let Johnson walk at the end of the season or bring him back on a cheaper veteran contract.

Johnson is an older player and just wants to be used and play some meaningful minutes for a winning team. For his career, he is averaging 16.2 points, 4.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game on 44.4 percent shooting from the field and 37.2 percent shooting from the 3-point line.

Johnson could come in and help the Blazers make a playoff push this season. He can play off the ball and give the Blazers another good 3-point shooter. Johnson has the skills to handle the ball and could run the pick-and-roll with the big guys while Damian Lillard or C.J. McCollum work to get open off the ball. He can take advantage of getting a smaller defender on him by going to work in the post.

Defenses would have to pay close attention to Johnson because he can score from all over the court. The Blazers also get a second round pick because they are taking on a guy who is on an expiring deal.

Why the Jazz make the trade

Utah isn’t having a great season, and it doesn’t make much sense for them to keep an older guy on their roster who doesn’t wanna be there. They have been rebuilding a bit since they lost Gordon Hayward in free agency to the Boston Celtics.

This trade allows them to get some value out of Johnson.

Instead of benching Johnson the rest of the season or having to buy him out of his contract, the Jazz receive two players in their 20s who are under contract for a few seasons.

Harkless gives the Blazers a nice young wing to add to their lineup. He is a long, athletic wing that can defend multiple positions and has good 3-and-D potential. The Jazz doesn’t have a guy like Harkless on their team and could benefit adding him. He is under contract for two more seasons and is on a favorable deal if he is playing well.

Noah Vonleh is a former lottery pick and still waiting for his big breakout. He has developed slowly in Portland, but still has the potential to be a good player. Vonleh would provide excellent depth for the Jazz in their frontcourt. He could be a guy they keep around for a few seasons. He will be a restricted free agent this summer. The Jazz would have the right to match any deal he is offered.

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This trade makes sense for both teams and helps both out in the long run.