Trail Blazers’ current outlook
The Trail Blazers are another team that are on the edge of falling into no-man’s land. Their stellar backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum will keep them fighting for the playoffs, but their championship hopes are small. Notice I said fighting for the playoffs; that is because Portland is not a lock to make the postseason in the Western Conference.
The Los Angeles Lakers, who added LeBron James and revamped their bench, are most likely to take their playoff spot, while the Denver Nuggets (and potentially the Los Angeles Clippers if they trade for Jimmy Butler) can jump the Blazers as well. Remember that Portland was only three games away from missing the playoffs entirely despite being the 3-seed last season. The West has always been a bloodbath, and with LeBron joining the mix, it’s going to be that much tougher.
This may entice the Blazers to transition into a full rebuild. With all their bad contracts and small market size, Rip City is not in a position to make a move that drastically improves their title chances. While it is unfortunate, it has to be obvious at this point: Their best chances at hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy may come if Lillard and McCollum aren’t there.
Both players are very talented, but not talented enough to lead Portland to the promised land. While both players are committed to winning in Portland, loyalty doesn’t prevent a player from being moved (see: Isaiah Thomas and DeMar DeRozan).
The reason Lillard and McCollum have to be out of Portland for the Blazers to have a chance at winning a championship is because they are the only players with serious trade value. The best thing that general manager Neil Olshey can do in the event of a full-scale rebuild, or even in a trade involving just one member of his star backcourt, is search for trades with young players, expiring contracts and draft picks.
Re-enter the Miami Heat.