Question 4: Should the Blazers Blow It Up?
Ashlin: You should never waste the prime of an elite NBA player. The Blazers do not need to blow it up, but they need to retool around Lillard. I would wait and finish this season. If they do not make it to the Western Conference Finals, then you explore unloading salaries. Maybe even move McCollum to recoup the assets they might give up to unload Turner’s deal. They could try to land Tobias Harris or Khris Middleton and still acquire another starter. However, the Blazers should remain open to any trade offers that might come their way this season.
Patrick: No – not yet. A three-game skid is no reason to panic, especially as it’s coming off a pretty tough and long road trip through Thanksgiving. The team has performed well in the early-going with their current makeup, and I think Portland needs to experience more turbulence before suggestions of “blow it up” become real considerations.
Just a week or so ago, the Blazers were atop the Western Conference. Zach Lowe and Jason Quick were singing Portland praises for their resiliency and stellar play. Let’s give the team some time to regroup and get back to this Blazers nirvana.
Gutbrod: I think the term “blow it up” is a bit of a stretch here. Lillard, at the very least, is a top 15 player in the NBA. Nurkic is a solid young big and Zach Collins is an emerging offensive force. The talent is there for the team to at least be competitive.
I think blowing it up would be the wrong idea and if Lillard was not traded in the blow up he would likely leave after his contract should the team just threw in the towel. Some moves do need to be made, but a handful of core pieces are in place. The best course of action would seem to be moving McCollum, who would net a hefty return especially when coupled with a pick or other smaller asset. The move could balance out the roster and allow some of the supporting cast to fall back into less demanding, more suitable roles on the team.
Moore: No. This is a good young team led by an All-NBA talent (Lillard) and a potential All-Star (McCollum). Nurkic has made slow but steady progress and may soon develop into a legitimate third leg of the Blazers’ “Big 3.” Let’s see what happens during the course of this long season and into the playoffs before we think about blowing anything up.
Piper: Not a blow-up, but they should be aggressively pursuing roster improvements. Bradley Beal, maybe?