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3 trades the Portland Trail Blazers should target if Zach Collins’ injury lingers

By Austin Carroll

DALLAS, TEXAS - OCTOBER 27: Zach Collins #33 of the Portland Trail Blazers leaves the game against the Dallas Mavericks after a shoulder injury in the second half at American Airlines Center on October 27, 2019 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TEXAS - OCTOBER 27: Zach Collins #33 of the Portland Trail Blazers leaves the game against the Dallas Mavericks after a shoulder injury in the second half at American Airlines Center on October 27, 2019 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

3. Davis Bertans

Due in large part to playing for a very mediocre Washington Wizards team, Davis Bertans has become one of the most overlooked talents in the NBA. Last year, the Latvian Laser drilled 42.9 percent of his 3-point shots, on a healthy sample size of 4.4 per game. That hot streak has continued into this season, as he’s knocked down 10-of-20 attempts from deep across three games.

Despite being a sharpshooting specialist, Bertrans isn’t too shabby of a defender either. While he’ll certainly never match Collins’ shot blocking acumen, Bertrans has posted a respectably average Defensive Rating of 108 and a -0.1 DBPM.

At 26-years-old, Bertrans has actually only played in three full NBA seasons. Having travelled all over Europe and spending three years under Gregg Popovich, Bertans has a strong understanding of how to play team-oriented winning basketball.

On an expiring contract of just $7 million, Bertans can be acquired without sacrificing any significant current assets or Portland’s long term financial flexibility. He may not be a flashy trade target, but he brings a lot to the table without forcing the Trail Blazers to give up any vital pieces.

With all the struggles Anthony Tolliver has experienced in his first week as a Blazer, swapping him out for essentially a younger and more efficient version of himself would be a quality move on the Blazers behalf. Unfortunately, Tolliver cannot be dealt away until December 15 at the latest. If Collins’ injury issues linger on for longer than that, Portland will probably have bigger problems on its hands.

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Ultimately, it would probably be best if injuries didn’t force the hands of the Portland Trail Blazers to make a rash move. But if it did, these would be some of the best realistic options available on the market that don’t require Portland to break the bank.