1 Player to trade for from each team the Trail Blazers have faced
By Reese Kunz
One of the most underappreciated sports video games of all time is NBA Street Vol. 2. An exciting aspect of the game is when you defeat the opposing team and unlock or pick a player from the opposing team to add to your roster. If that were the case in real-life NBA, it wouldn't end well for the Blazers this season, as they are expected to finish close to their 21-win total from last year and have already started the season 1-3. Adding to the challenge, they have the toughest schedule in the entire league.
Nevertheless, the Blazers' past three opponents—the Warriors, Pelicans, and Kings—make ideal potential trade partners, as each team has a player that Portland should consider targeting before the 2025 trade deadline.
1. Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors
Moses Moody was also in consideration here. But he recently inked a three-year, $39 million extension with Golden State, which complicates any potential trade and makes it more unlikely that he's dealt as a result.
It’s a three-year, $39 million extension for Moses Moody and the Warriors, all guaranteed, source confirms. Keeps him under team control for next four seasons. Still trade eligible this season, but outgoing salary counts as $5.8 mil, incoming as $11.2 mil. Makes matching trickier
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 21, 2024
Kuminga, on the other hand, is someone the Blazers should strongly consider targeting if he's made available. While some anticipated a breakout 2024-25 season for Kuminga, he's been disappointing in his small sample size of three games, averaging 8 points and 3.3 rebounds in 19.7 minutes per game on atrocious 33/11/58 shooting splits. The Warriors' other wing, Andrew Wiggins, is also on the verge of a bounce-back season, which could make Kuminga more expendable.
It depends on how aggressive the Warriors want to be in maximizing Stephen Curry and Draymond Green's remaining window. If they are willing to part ways with a former No. 7 overall pick with plenty of untapped potential at just 22 years old to get someone better equipped to help them win now, then the Blazers should inquire about striking a deal. They have established players that make sense to be traded away by the February deadline.