1 Portland Trail Blazers trade target to consider at every position

The Portland Trail Blazers are approaching this year’s NBA trade deadline with multiple needs. A point guard to run the second unit, some extra scoring from the bench, and some additional size could all be useful to head coach Chauncey Billups.

Making a splash for an all-NBA caliber player would drain almost the entirety of Portland’s available assets. If general manager Joe Cronin is going to re-tool his bench, it will need to be with marginal moves.

There appear to be fewer sellers than usual this February, which narrows the list of options for the Blazers. But if Cronin scours the market, there are still difference makers at every position, beginning with point guard.

PG Delon Wright

The 30-year-old Wright has been a steady, if unspectacular, reserve guard during his six-plus seasons in the league. If he has any one skill that does approach spectacular, though, it’s his defense.

Wright is able to use his 6-foot-5 frame to pester smaller guards and he often finds himself in the right place, both on-ball and off. That size also allows him to reach in and poke the ball away or get his hands into passing lanes – he’s averaging more than two steals per game this year in only 20 minutes a night.

Those deflections and turnovers could lead to easy scores in transition, which Portland could sorely use.

It won’t be flashy, but his steady offensive game (almost a 4:1 assist-to-turnover ratio) and ability to hound opposing backcourts would be a welcome addition to the Blazers’ bench.