The Portland Trail Blazers have made a rocky history when it comes to almost acquiring star talent. Here’s a look at four almost-trades that would have changed franchise history.
Even in considering the 43-year championship drought, the Portland Trail Blazers have been one of the most successful teams in basketball’s history. They’ve been a Playoff fixture in nearly three-fourths of their existence, and have been a home to some of NBA history’s most electrifying players.
Even so, regardless of how you slice it, they’re likely always to be synonymous with one two-word phrase: what if?
We’ve grown accustomed to hearing about some of the high-profile stars the Trail Blazers naturally found a way to miss out on — think Michael Jordan and Kevin Durant. Or, even some of the middle-shelf examples, such as Larry Bird, or Charles Barkley, as we’ve discussed previously.
But, in today’s article, we’ll look at some of the lesser-known examples of trades that could have changed the franchise’s fortune for years to come. Here’s what we’ve got.