The Portland Trail Blazers trade with the Philadelphia 76ers and Minnesota Timberwolves
Why this trade works for the Blazers:
This trade is more of a numbers game than anything, as none of the three players Portland is getting in return is equal to CJ in value, but as a whole can help the Blazers elevate their ceiling.
Jaden McDaniels is technically the centerpiece of this trade and will go from playing a bench role on a lottery team to starting for a Blazers squad with championship aspirations. That is a lot to ask of a second-year player, but all signs indicate that McDaniels is up for the challenge.
Last season, he put up a modest 6.8 points, 3.7 boards, and a block in each game he played, but also displayed an incredible amount of potential and versatility. He came into the league one of the most athletic players in the league. That impressive physical profile projects him to be a dominant two-way player, sooner rather than later.
Watch as McDaniels disrupts a usually intimidating Marcus Morris and stops the fast-break drive, before coming over from the weakside to send back Terance Mann’s attempt.
Later in the game, he positions himself in the paint and easily reaches over Mann for the putback.
On the night, he had three other blocks and hit two out of his five 3-point attempts as well.
McDaniels isn’t the second star the Blazers need, but he can contribute right away with his athleticism, energy, defense, and ability to stretch the floor. With a tightened handle and work on his pullup game, he could become that second star soon.
Patrick Beverley is a known commodity at this point in his career. For the Blazers, he’ll bring elite point-of-attack defense, a little nastiness that they need, veteran ballhandling, and will hit open jumpers.
Adding Malik Beasley’s shot creation turns the Blazers bench from a solid unit into an elite one.
Why this trade works for the 76ers:
See last slide.
Why this trade works for the Timberwolves:
The Timberwolves obviously need a drastic change. Although Anthony Edwards has turned out to be a better (and more lovable) prospect than most pundits expected, the team is still missing a true playmaker and elite defender.
Ben Simmons happens to be both of those things and also best friends with D’Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Giving up on McDaniels and Beasley so quickly stings a bit, but there’s always a price to pay to acquire elite talent. Forging the “Super Pals” is a great way for the Twin City to accelerate their rebuild and shorten the gap between their playoff appearances. All-in-all, this is a low price to pay if it means keeping Towns in Minnesota for the long run.