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Portland Trail Blazers: 3 trades team should make before deadline

By Ty Delbridge

SACRAMENTO, CA - JANUARY 7: Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic looks on during the game against the Sacramento Kings on January 7, 2019 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CA - JANUARY 7: Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic looks on during the game against the Sacramento Kings on January 7, 2019 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

With less than a week until the 2019 NBA Trade Deadline, the Portland Trail Blazers have already made one trade. /Here are a few more they could look at to improve their roster.

As reported by ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski on Sunday, the Portland Trail Blazers acquired Rodney Hood from the Cleveland Cavaliers for Nik Stauskas, Wade Baldwin IV and two future second round draft picks. The Blazers needed more help on the wing and are hoping Hood will be the answer. By making this trade, Portland now has an open roster spot.

The Blazers are 32-20 and are currently sitting in fourth place in the Western Conference. This team does not look much different from past seasons and needs to improve if it wants to advance past the first round in the playoffs.

In an interview with ESPN at the 2018 NBA Draft Combine, general manager Neil Olshey talked about the Blazers being too conservative at the deadline in the past and how they are now looking to build the roster for playoff success instead of success in the long term future:

"“I think probably one of the things we were a little too conservative with this offseason and at the trade deadline was we were probably far too protective of our draft pick and our trade exceptions and the tools we had to continue to build the roster long-term and maybe lost sight of the fact that the first round was going to be more competitive than we expected. I think this offseason we shift our focus to playoff-caliber guys. Guys that hit the right benchmarks or the body of work that can really perform come April knowing the rebuild got done quicker than we thought and it’s time to start thinking of playoff success over whether or not we can or can’t make the playoffs while retooling.”"

The Blazers went out and signed only Seth Curry and Nik Stauskas this offseason and did not make any trades before the season. Even though they traded away Stauskas for a better player in Rodney Hood, Hood is not the guy who is going to help this team take the next step in the playoffs. ESPN‘s Zach Lowe reported the Blazers are buyers at the deadline, and that they have put their first round pick “in play.”

It is time for this franchise to make a trade that is going to move the needle in the right direction for the rest of this season and set them up nicely for next. Here are three trades that might get the job done.

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