What we wish the Blazers did at the trade deadline
By Nate Mann
Dayton Brown
I will gladly stand in the minority on this topic.
The Blazers staying relatively silent before and into the deadline was pleasing to witness. Moving Noah Vonleh to get under the luxury tax mark was smart but subtle, plus unchanging of the team as a whole. That’s exactly what should have happened.
Many Blazer fans ache for a change up of this roster, and their chance was thrown away. I get the frustration. An improvement of this team was within grasp, and Neil Olshey “did nothing.”
But, what if there was nothing he could have done, or would have wanted to do?
No impact players on market
Who were the Blazers gonna trade for that ensures us being better enough to actually make more of a mark in the playoffs this year? No matter who we were going to trade through, the improvement was gonna me minuscule.
— D (@Dayton_Brown_) February 8, 2018
There wasn’t a player out there for Portland that would have made a strong enough impact immediately. Nurkic Fever ran rampant around Portland this time a year ago. No trade, not even for DeAndre Jordan, would have duplicated that.
First, it would shake up the chemistry of the team. With one swift move, the franchise is headed in a whole new direction than before in the middle of a season. (This is assuming Nurkic would go to the Clippers in the Jordan deal. Which, if a trade was on the table that didn’t feature Nurkic, CJ McCollum, or Damian Lillard, then Olshey would have taken that deal.)
Second, the immediate improvement would be minuscule. Guys like Rodney Hood or Kent Bazemore improve the defense, sure. But at what cost? And, would they fit in quickly enough to take Portland to the next level?
I mean, that’s the whole point of the suggested trades for Portland. Besides, Hood’s price tag was too large for Olshey it seems, and Bazemore wasn’t really on the trade market. There just isn’t a name or a trade out there that screams “Immediate results and a better overall team.”
No need for another big trade deadline
In the end, the reason I’m most happy the Blazers didn’t make a move is simple: I don’t think this team needs to make one due to the already present talent.
This roster simply needs time to develop together without any shake ups. It seems like the team makes a trade every deadline just as a rhythm is starting to develop. Staying put and keeping this strong 6th place team with a budding All-Star intact was the best move of all.