The Portland Trail Blazers currently have the 16th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Which trades could they make to move up and draft a premium forward?
The Portland Trail Blazers have the 16th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. This is an interesting draft for the Blazers, as they have significant pressure this year to maximize Damian Lillard‘s prime and have Jusuf Nurkic healthy for the 2021 season.
The last time Dame, Nurkic and CJ McCollum were healthy; this team won 53 games – even with Nurkic missing the last nine games after breaking his leg.
The 2021 season may be the Blazers’ best chance to push for a deep playoff run. There are no superteams anymore, like in the Kevin Durant – Golden State Warriors era. LeBron James is aging, the Warriors big three are all over thirty-years-old, and the LA Clippers imploded in this season’s playoffs.
Dame is in career-best form and is firmly a top-five player in the league.
When you consider the Blazers’ needs concerning the draft, it’s size, defense, and athleticism. The Blazers don’t get to the rim or the line often, they are small in every position bar center, and they are terrible defensively.
The 16th pick may not be enough to get a quality forward, but if they made a move on draft night, they could potentially bring in a forward that could help off the bench right away. There are no real athletes on this Blazer team, but they could change that on draft night.