The Trail Blazers NBA Draft night could be quiet unless a trade partner arises.
The Trail Blazers currently lack a pick in this Thursday’s NBA Draft, but that doesn’t mean that GM Neil Olshey won’t find a way back into the action. It likely won’t be easy for Portland to buy their way into a selection, as the summer spending spree is on the horizon. The surplus of money will put a premium on young players on team friendly contracts. Several teams have multiple picks in both rounds, so they could be talked out of one of their selections.
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We are now going to attempt to find the likely trade partners for the Trail Blazers heading into the NBA Draft. Teams are judged by the number of their selections and the current dynamic on their roster. A team might already be overloaded with young players in need of development. A franchise could also be in “win now” mode, which makes educating a rookie a tricky process.
Potential Trade Partners
Boston Celtics – 3 First Round Picks / 5 Second Round Picks
The Celtics are overloaded with draft picks, as they are still reaping the benefits from their trade with the Brooklyn Nets. Finding a home for eight rookies is nearly impossible (unless you’re the 76ers), so they will most likely trade away a healthy portion of their selections on draft night. Danny Ainge figures to be a major player for Kevin Love‘s services, but the Cav’s might have little interest in bringing on rookies. That could lead to Boston packaging their picks to teams looking to get back into the action.
Boston currently owns the third, sixteenth, and twenty-third picks in the first round. The third pick would take a massive trade package by the Trail Blazers. When you consider the drop off after the top selections – it seems highly unlikely Olshey has a target in mind at pick three. The sixteenth and twenty-third picks could be in the right range that Portland is trying to get into.
Denver Nuggets – 3 First Round Picks / 2 Second Round Picks
The Nuggets are in rebuild mode, but adding three mid-round rookies might not be the answer. Their number seven pick will be costly, but Portland could find a way to reclaim their 19th pick from Denver. The draft is fairly deep this year, which means that Terry Stotts could add a rotation player at that point in the process.
If Denver uses all of their selections in the first first round, it could lower the asking price of their two second round picks (53/56). The Nuggets will likely use those selections to stash players in Europe, but the Trail Blazers could turn one of those picks into a cheaper alternative to Brian Roberts.
Phoenix Suns – 3 First Round Picks / 1 Second Round Pick
Like the Nuggets, the Suns are under some heavy construction. They have a new coaching staff and a roster that already features a lot of young talent. The fourth pick is untouchable, but the thirteenth pick could be in play for the Trail Blazers. It would take some sacrifice on Portland’s end, as a package of future picks would be included in the deal. A blockbuster deal with Phoenix would likely also include eating Tyson Chandler‘s massive contract.
Targeting their twenty-eighth pick is a more realistic scenario. Talent will still be on the table this late in the draft, which could add to Portland’s depth immediately.
Next: Late First Round Targets
Summary: Getting back into this draft will be no easy task, but it isn’t completely impossible. Paul Allen (Owner) has shown a repeated willingness to sacrifice cash and assets to get into the selection process. The depth of this draft is very intriguing for an up-and-coming franchise like the Trail Blazers, so don’t be shocked when they’re able to pull off a trade on Thursday night.