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Trail Blazers: 3 impact trades to help ease Jusuf Nurkic’s eventual return

By Ryan Gaskin

PORTLAND, OR - MARCH 25: Jusuf Nurkic #27 of the Portland Trail Blazers reacts in the fourth quarter against the Brooklyn Nets during their game at Moda Center on March 25, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. 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 Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OR - MARCH 25: Jusuf Nurkic #27 of the Portland Trail Blazers reacts in the fourth quarter against the Brooklyn Nets during their game at Moda Center on March 25, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. 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 Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Option No. 1: Draymond Green

Without a doubt, Portland swinging a trade for Draymond Green is my dream scenario for this year.

Draymond Green is a winner. Even without looking into the specifics of his potential role in Portland, the Blazers would simply a better basketball team with Green on the roster. Everyone knows his strengths — he can pass the ball, is an elite defender, and occupies one of the best basketball minds in the NBA. Draymond has a championship mentality, and would be a perfect fit in the culture Damian Lillard has created.

Many of called the Trail Blazers ‘Golden State lite’ in recent years, and they weren’t wrong. There were numerous similarities between the two teams, most noticeably the elite backcourts. The Blazers did a lot of things similar to that of Golden State; the Warriors just did it a lot better. Some of that was down to the fact that Steph Curry is slightly better than Lillard, Klay Thompson and CJ McCollum also. But Portland didn’t have anything close to a ‘Draymond’, no one does, because he’s unique.

With Lillard, McCollum, Rodney Hood and others, the Blazers have more than enough shooters on their roster right now to maximize Draymond’s skills effectively. Green struggles without offensive talent around him, as he doesn’t have the ability to create for himself. But with Portland’s shooters, Green could run the same plays he did with the Warriors, and constantly create open looks.

Some of the plays they run are centered around a screen and roll with Kevin Durant, with Draymond receiving the ball back and finding the open man. Rodney Hood isn’t as dangerous as Durant, but would still require attention in this setting, leaving one of Dame or CJ waiting in the corners. Other plays are simply just a demonstration of Draymond’s I.Q., his constant goal is to make his teammates better, and there’s few in the NBA who do it as well as him.

Adding Green would also fit in with the current trend in the NBA of utilizing passing bigs.

The Toronto Raptors jumped from 23rd to 1st in 3-pt percentage after acquiring Marc Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies mid-season. With Draymond being able to play the center position, his addition could see a similar upwards trend for the Blazers.

So what would the trade look like? It would obviously be extremely (!!) difficult to pry Draymond away from the Warriors; even if we offered a huge package they may not bite. But it’s worth a shot, and here’s the best proposition I came up with.

This trade works even if Nurkic doesn’t start playing well until the following season. A line-up of Lillard, McCollum, Hood, Draymond and Nurk is one that will cause problems for the next few years, even in the elite Western Conference.