Should the Portland Trail Blazers Trade for Julius Randle, Nikola Mirotic, or E’Twaun Moore?

Julius Randle

In terms of sheer talent, Julius Randle might be the most enticing player on this list. He is averaging 19.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game this season.

Randle’s potential fit is definitely the most interesting. He is at his best when he can work inside on offense with his teammates spacing the floor. Randle is shooting a blistering 59.9% when he is less than 10 feet away from the basket.

Although he can play minutes at power forward, there is no question that he is better suited to play center. The Blazers already have Jusuf Nurkic locked in as the starting center. Behind Nurkic, they have a multitude of centers including Zach Collins and Meyers Leonard. Even if Randle would be an upgrade off of the bench, New Orleans will likely demand too much for a backup big man on an expiring contract.

Even though Randle is better suited to play the center position, there is still a legitimate argument that he could work at power forward next to Nurkic. Randle has improved as a shooter and is making 33.3% of his catch and shoot three-pointers this season. Still, Randle and Nurkic would be puzzling defensively. Neither player can handle being a full-time perimeter defender and opposing offenses will likely exploit that weakness.