Three trades to make the Portland Trail Blazers a true contender

The Portland Trail Blazers are probably one piece away from being a contender. Which three trades could they make to be a true contender?

The Portland Trail Blazers with Damian Lillard in town are a strong playoff team, but they haven’t really been a championship contender this century. With Lillard firmly in his prime they need to maximise the years they have with him as a true superstar.

I’m confident that the Blazers as a unit, when fit,  can push for a second round or maybe even conference finals, but this team doesn’t have the personnel for a finals run. This doesn’t mean that they can’t be a great team and cause an upset or two along the way.

But the overall construction of the team with the top heavy roster, both salary and talent wise, means that this team is short on the wing. Not just with scoring, but with size and defense.

We all know which players on the roster probably aren’t going anywhere in the distant future, but sometimes it’s nice to think about what might be with a move or two to changes things up. Also, suggesting a trade doesn’t mean that we think a player is bad, sometimes it just means that maybe there is a player on another team that could fit our squad better.

The most important thing for this team, more than any other matter in the franchise or on the roster, is maximising Dame’s peak. This has to be priority number one. Some teams go years without having an All-NBA talent. Dame’s time, is right now.

Which three trades could this team make to turn them into a true contender?