Three trades the Portland Trail Blazers could make at the deadline
By Jack Rieger
Dario Saric and company
The Blazers acquire Dario Saric, James Young and Furkan Korkmaz for Aminu and a first-round pick.
Portland trades defense and athleticism for three-point shooting, spacing and size. At 6’10”, Saric is a perimeter power forward shooting five threes per game this season at a 37.2 percent clip.
He’s an ideal pick-and-pop partner for Lillard and McCollum.
Saric has been struggling the last five games but hits the pick and pop 3 from the left wing and had 10 points in 1st half @AdrianFedkiw pic.twitter.com/XgAhVlr3Vg
— Philly Influencer (@PHL_Influencer) December 6, 2016
In Philadelphia, Saric has struggled to fit alongside Joel Embiid, who often drifts in to Saric’s territory around the three-point line. The floor balance with Jusuf Nurkic — an interior center — would be ideal.
Saric is only 23 years old, and he’s yet to realize his full potential. Portland’s first round pick and Aminu might not be enough to convince the 76ers’ front office to let go of a lengthy offensive weapon. Here’s the Blazers’ projected lineup with Saric:
PG: Damian Lillard | SG: CJ McCollum | SF: Evan Turner | PF: Dario Saric | C: Jusuf Nurkic
The new-look Blazers would have great floor balance, three sharp shooters and a young frontcourt.