Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey named one dream and one realistic trade target for every NBA team this season. For the Portland Trail Blazers, those targets were Lauri Markkanen and Kyle Kuzma (we'll let you guess which one was which).
The idea behind adding a polarizing player in Kuzma would be to offload Jerami Grant in exchange for another negative asset with one less year remaining on a relatively cheaper contract. Still, with how Grant has looked to start the season, that doesn't sound particularly appealing.
One player Portland should absolutely try to trade Grant for to match salaries is Markkanen.
The Jazz must sell high on Lauri Markkanen
The Utah Jazz forward is in the midst of a bounce-back season and looking more like the All-Star version he was in 2023. He was brilliant in EuroBasket play with Finland over the summer, and that momentum has carried over to the NBA season.
In seven games with the Jazz, he's averaging 31.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists on 48/37/89 shooting splits. These aren't the cliche "empty stats" either, as Markkanen has the projected Western Conference bottom feeders off to a surprising 3-4 start.
Is that... too good a start for Utah?
The Jazz have been patiently rebuilding, and they finally have a face of that rebuild in their recent No. 5 overall pick, Ace Bailey. Utah will likely want to position itself for another top pick in next summer's draft, headlined by prospects such as Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, and Cameron Boozer. They are naturally due for regression, especially after the unfortunate season-ending injury suffered by center Walker Kessler. Still, one way to guarantee that the Jazz will finish the season at the bottom of the Western Conference is to trade their star, who's helping them somehow win these games.
Now is a perfect opportunity for Utah to sell high on Markkanen, making him a logical trade candidate by February's deadline. If that is the case, several teams should be pursuing the Finnish forward. His positional size and floor spacing make him a seamless fit with any team, hence why Bailey names Markkanen as a dream or realistic target for a total of six teams.
Lauri Markkanen would be a perfect fit in Portland
Markkanen would provide Portland with a better version of what Grant has to offer this roster. The Blazers are a perfect fit as a team that desperately needs more shooting and another go-to option on offense. They are one of the tallest teams in the league with their frontcourt of Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, and Donovan Clingan, and could bolster that strength by adding another seven-footer into the picture.
Additionally, Avdija and Camara are two of the most versatile wings in the league, allowing interim head coach Tiago Splitter the flexibility to even play them alongside Markkanen depending on matchups. They could start Jrue Holiday, Camara, Avdija, Markkanen, and Clingan. While playmaking would admittedly remain an issue, Portland would have more than enough defensively to cover for Markkanen on that end, while his shooting and underrated shot creation would elevate a lackluster offense.
Ultimately, it depends on the price, as Portland shouldn't overpay. Markkanen is having an All-Star renaissance, but still wouldn't be the piece to put them into contention status. That's not worth sacrificing a significant chunk of the future for.
But, as was the case with the Holiady trade, it does make sense for Portland to add Markkanen to help achieve its goal of ending a four-year playoff drought. As the start of the season has shown, the Blazers are just one piece away from making that a reality.