What needs will the Trail Blazers look to fill before the NBA trade deadline?
The NBA trade deadline in quickly approaching, will the Trail Blazers look to make a splash before then? Portland have turned into an unlikely buyer in the market after exceeding expectations on the season. Sitting at 19-26 (just 1.5 games out of the 8th spot) it is likely that Neil Olshey will look to fill one of the team needs via trade. With the largest chunk of available cap space in the league, the Trail Blazers will likely find themselves active as the trade season heats up.
The Trail Blazers have certainly played well at times this year, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t have significant needs. Let’s look at what Portland might look to upgrade before we get started.
Rim Protection
The Trail Blazers are currently ranked 24th in blocks per game. This is a huge problem for a team that relies on their big men to cover the suspect defense of their guards. Opposing teams have been able to find easy looks throughout the season against Portland. This has resulted in the Trail Blazers allowing their opposition shoot a friendly .450 FG%.
Mason Plumlee does a lot of nice things for the Trail Blazers, but rim protection isn’t one of them. His BLK % sits at a less than stellar 2.9%, almost a full percentage point lower than Robin Lopez‘s rate from last year.
Reserve Point Guard
Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum are both averaging 35+ minutes per game. This isn’t how you keep your stars fresh down the stretch, so look for Olshey to explore the market for a reliable back-up option. Tim Frazier has only played meaningful minutes in Lillard’s absence. It is unclear if this is a result of the game plan presented by Terry Stotts or the result of a lack of trust in Frazier. The Trail Blazers should be in the market for a dependable reserve regardless.
Stretch Four
This was the role that many envisioned Meyers Leonard filling, but a slow start to the season has put those thoughts on hold. Leonard has recovered slightly in the shooting department, but is still shooting below 35% from deep. Noah Vonleh has since taken over the starting power forward spot. While Vonleh’s youth is enticing, the Trail Blazers could do better in the short term.
Another Deep Threat
Portland only has three reliable deep threats on the squad (Lillard, McCollum, Allen Crabbe). This has led to defenses suffocating the Trail Blazers’ offense late in games. Adding another pure shooter could go a long way in keeping the opposition honest on defense.
Over the next slides we will look at potential players that could be on the market for the Trail Blazers.
Next: Available Rim Protectors
Mozgov has fallen out of favor in Cleveland this year and he loses more playing time to Tristian Thompson each game. With only one year left on his contract and the Cav’s well over the cap, it is likely that the 7’1″ center will be on the move before the deadline. The Trail Blazers have already brokered a deal with Cleveland this year, so it isn’t crazy to think they will be able to pull off another.
As mentioned above, Mozgov is losing playing time to Thompson. This has resulted in his averages dipping across the board, he is now only averaging 6.3 PPG and 4.3 RPG. Despite these drops, he is still sporting a 3.6 BLK%. His size and instincts around the rim would be upgrade for the Trail Blazers.
Perhaps all the Russian needs is a change of scenery. He is still on the right side of 30 (29 years old), so he would fit the future plans of Neil Olshey. If it doesn’t work out the consequences aren’t drastic, as Mozgov is in the last year of his contract.
Hibbert is stuck in NBA purgatory. Being placed on a tanking Lakers squad in the midst of a contract year is no place for a veteran. The 7’2″ center has been on a steep decline from his once all-star stature, but that doesn’t mean he is with out value. Hibbert is still posting a solid 5.1 BLK%, which nearly doubles Mason Plumlee’s numbers.
It will likely take very little to pry Hibbert from the Lakers. The Trail Blazers are one of few teams that can simply absorb all of his 15 million dollar contract. In a refined role it is plausible for Hibbert to find success in Portland. Like Mozgov, Hibbert is on the last year of his contract.
Things have not gone according to plan for New Orleans this season and it could result in them liquidating assets before the deadline. Asik has shown signs of being a dominant presence in the paint when healthy, but repeat injuries have kept him from consistent playing time. This didn’t keep the Pelicans from signing him to a large extension though. New Orleans will likely be looking to add long term cap flexibility, so it is likely other assets will come with Asik.
This could be an opportunity for Neil Olshey to pick up a potential rim protector and future draft picks. Portland would likely seek at least one future first round pick in order for them to eat Asik’s contract. Paul Allen is also not shy about spending money, so if Asik doesn’t work out they could still use the stretch provision to soften the blow to the cap.
Next: Reserve Point Guard Options
The return of Kyrie Irving has put an end to Williams consistent playing time. It has resulted in rumors coming out of Cleveland about the veteran guard’s unhappiness. Before being buried on the bench, Williams was averaging 10.9 PPG and 3.4 APG. Those numbers would be a solid addition to Portland’s thin point guard rotation.
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Williams has a solid relationship with Portland’s Damian Lillard, so a return to Rip City might be what the doctor ordered. The veteran point guard is on a cap friendly contract (just over 2 million a year) with a player option kicking in this offseason. Williams would have to accept a smaller role in Portland this go around, but it would still be bigger than his current one with the Cav’s.
Jennings continues to work back into playing form from his achilles injury. He is averaging 7.4 PPG and 3.5 APG in a reduced role. The biggest drop off might be in his .316 3P%, down from .360 last season. Even with those numbers he would be an improvement to the point guard rotation.
It is unclear what the Pistons will ask for in return for Jennings, as they are gearing up for a playoff run themselves. It would be a major risk for the Trail Blazers to give up any major asset for Jennings. There is no guarantee that he would return to Portland after his contract expires this offseason.
Ennis is currently buried on a guard heavy Milwaukee squad. He is only 21 years old, thus presenting an interesting option for the Trail Blazers going forward. His only averaging 9.7 mpg for the Bucks, so it is reasonable to think he could be an afterthought.
If available, he could reunite with his national team coach Jay Triano (Canada). His contract and age both fit into the long term plans that the Trail Blazers have. If he arrives in Portland it will be be up to him to remind everyone that he is still the player that earned national attention at Syracuse.
Next: Available Stretch Fours
Sullinger has turned himself into a deep threat since coming to the NBA, but the 2015-16 season has seen his progress slow. Offseason additions of David Lee and Amir Johnson has the Celtics big man rotation severely over crowded. Now in a smaller role, the former Ohio State power forward is averaging 9.7 PPG along with 8.6 RPG.
At 23 years old, Sullinger fits the timeline for the Trail Blazers’ future. He would likely step right into the starting power forward spot if he is acquired by Portland. Sullinger is headed for restricted free agency this summer, so Neil Olshey would at least have the option to match a long term offer.
Even though it feels like Young has been in the league forever, he is only 27 years old. With that being said, he is still likely to be too old before Brooklyn is relevant again. The Nets should be looking to clear as much cap space as possible and Portland is the perfect partner to offload contracts onto.
Young is not your traditional stretch four, as he lacks the ability to shoot from beyond the arc consistently. His athletic ability makes up for it though, as he constantly gets good looks at the basket by exploiting slower defenders. Having Young and Al-Farouq Aminu in the same lineup would present Terry Stotts with a massive amount of flexibility on the defensive end.
Markieff Morris / Ryan Anderson
Both players are on teams that are under achieving and both players are likely to be moved before the deadline. It is also becoming clear that both teams (Suns, Pelicans) are asking above market value for these assets. The last thing Portland should do is overpay for players at this point.
Next: Pure Shooter Options
Martin has been left behind in the current youth movement in Minnesota. His playing time has dropped by 10 minutes per game this year (33.4 to 22.8) and it is likely he is on his way out of the Twin Cities. Just last season he was averaging 20 PPG and shooting a solid .393 from deep. The biggest knock for Martin might be his age (32), but a trade at the right price could garner intrigue from Olshey.
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Martin would give the Trail Blazers another offensive option off of the bench. He would also be able to play next to McCollum and Lillard, as Martin is a capable catch and shoot option. He is on a two year contract that comes in just over seven million a year, with the last year being a player option. With the increasing cap it is likely Martin would test the market after this year, making this a low risk investment for Portland.
Frye has fallen out of favor in Orlando and it likely he can be acquired for cheap in a trade. His 7.5 million dollar contract is a deterrent to most teams, but the Trail Blazers aren’t one of them. It is also likely that the Magic would throw in draft considerations to the team that takes the final two years of Frye’s contract.
Frye has declined in a lot of areas since his last stint in Portland, but three point shooting isn’t one of them. The former Arizona big man is shooting .407 from three this season. He would provide the Trail Blazers with an efficient shooter capable of stretching out opposing defenses. His long career could serve as an example to the youngsters on the Portland roster.
Like Hibbert, Young is trapped on a roster going through a rebuild. It is unclear what role Young will have in the Lakers future, which leaves the door open to a trade. He is currently averaging 7.7 PPG while shooting a respectable .354 from three.
Young is on a great contract (under 6 million until 2018) and it will only look better as the cap goes up. He has similar skill sets to other Portland reserves, but his capability to play multiple positions makes him an option. It would be a culture shock for “Swaggy P” to go from Hollywood to Portland, but it might be a welcome change from the dismal days of rebuilding.