Portland Trail Blazers: 3 trades to make on NBA Draft night
Portland Trail Blazers trade #1 – Derrick Jones Jr. and a future second-round pick for Josh Richardson
Josh Richardson is a 27-year-old wing who is one of the best defenders in the NBA. Standing six-foot-five with a big six-foot-ten wingspan, he currently plays for the Dallas Mavericks.
After some impressive years with the Miami Heat his shooting has dropped off a touch, but he is still an excellent defensive guard. Richardson would usually guard the opposition’s best player and is great at blocking shots or forcing turnovers.
Offensively, he is a strong finisher at the rim and is a career 35.8 shooter from three.
He can play make a little bit as well. Though he didn’t do it a lot on his last two stops, he is a nice secondary creator.
On the Blazers, he could be a nice fit as a starting small forward if CJ McCollum was traded.
Norman Powell re-signing and then a potential CJ trade could push Powell back to his natural two-guard spot.
For the Mavericks, they could bring in Jones Jr who would right away be a lob threat for Luka Doncic, giving Luka more of an off-ball player to function alongside.
Richardson’s value is slightly depressed, but the Blazers would still have to send a second-round pick in the deal.