Portland Trail Blazers: 3 players most unlikely to be on team next season

Player #3 – Jusuf Nurkic

Jusuf Nurkic had a strong playoffs series against the Nuggets, but his foul trouble ultimately spelled the end of the Blazers chances. Like CJ, it wasn’t Nurk’s fault that they lost this series, but the minutes Nurk didn’t play because of foul trouble or the lack of a suitable bench option, were the minutes the Blazers got killed in.

Nurk also had an interesting post-match press conference after the game six elimination.

Nurk is clearly annoyed after this loss. His non-guaranteed contract is a good point though in the overall situation. They can decide not to guarantee him and then re-sign a new deal, or just guarantee him and he will come back as normal and then work on a new deal in the off-season of 2022.

Nurk is the second most important guy behind Dame, but his injuries and limited minutes have made things tough for him. Nurk is a top 10 – 15 center when fit, but his fitness and then a maybe a perceived lack of shots or role in the offense may mean he could force his way out.

If he left for nothing in terms of a trade package, that would be a big blow to the Blazers. They are over the cap, so they wouldn’t have the money to replace him. Nurk is a key piece to this team and is actually a good fit with Damian Lillard or CJ because of his defense and passing ability.

Though it would be disappointing if CJ or Nurk left, it’s clearly time for a change, and these are some of the trade pieces that Blazers can use to improve.