4 trades to make the Portland Trail Blazers instant title contenders

One summer after taking a discounted rental deal to prove his worth, Julius Randle is looking like he absolutely made the right decision. Dominating the league to the tune of 21.4 points and 8,7 rebounds per night on a very efficient 21.0 PER and 60.0 true shooting percentage, Randle is all but guaranteed to decline his player option.

That means the Portland Trail Blazers will have to pursue a sign-and-trade, a deal the Pelicans would almost certainly prefer to the alternative of losing Randle for nothing. Meyers Leonard showed how much promise he truly has when utilized correctly, while Skal Labissiere is still developing on the potential that warranted his first-round selection status. Both players are solid building blocks to develop considering New Orleans’ big man rotation will look awfully thin in the absence of Randle and Anthony Davis.

Randle is still just 24 years old and getting better each season. Despite his young age, Randle is already capable of absolutely dominating on the court. Blazers fans surely remember, after his 45-point explosion against Portland.

Randle would bridge the gap between Nurkic’s recovery perfectly, keeping the team competitive and jostling for a high seed in the playoffs. Assuming Nurkic returns at even half-strength, the Blazers will just be that much better. Having three very talented bigs on the roster means there will always be opportunities for the trio of Lillard, McCollum and Hood (assuming he returns) to run the pick and roll and create good looks for their teammates.

Regardless of the direction they take, one thing’s for sure. The Portland Trail Blazers will have plenty of opportunities to unload their expiring contracts in pursuit of some of the top talent in the NBA. Being closer to the Larry O’Brien Trophy than ever, now is the time to make one of these moves.