Grade the trade idea: Trail Blazers ship 2 defensive juggernauts to West rival

It seems more likely than not that the Portland Trail Blazers will make a trade prior to February's trade deadline. The bigger question is, who should GM Joe Cronin make available? As a rebuilding team with established veterans still on the roster, the Blazers have a third of their players who could be considered potential trade candidates: Jerami Grant, Matisse Thybulle, Deandre Ayton, Robert Williams, and Anfernee Simons.

The trade deadline will present a prime opportunity for them to ship one or multiple of these players. Portland will want to worsen its record to look ahead to the 2025 draft while contending teams will look to be buyers to add final pieces to help them make a deep playoff push.

Latest pitch has Blazers trading RW3 and Thybulle to Lakers

That's precisely the case in this trade idea proposed by Sportscasting's Esfandiar Baraheni. Since the summer, the Los Angeles Lakers have been linked to the Blazers as potential trade partners.

The picks in this proposed deal include the Lakers' 2029 first-round pick (lottery protected) and two 2025 second-rounders.

The teams are headed in opposite directions in terms of their timelines. Los Angeles is looking to maximize their championship chances during 39-year-old LeBron James' closing window. They've also been playing relatively well with an 11-7 record (fifth in the Western Conference), which could give them more incentive to be aggressive at the deadline if they feel they have a legitimate shot of contending.

The Lakers are shallow in the frontcourt and are in the bottom five in defensive rating. Adding two former All-Defensive Team members, Robert Williams III and Matisse Thybulle would help address two of their most significant weaknesses.

Baraheni writes, "From the Lakers perspective, this one is a risky investment. For starters, you're hoping Williams can stay healthy — at least for the rest of the season. You're also hoping Thybulle's newfound outside shooting (he's made 36 percent of his threes since joining Portland in 2022-23) travels to Los Angeles."

The fact that it's lottery-protected makes it much less riskier for the Lakers. But this type of deal also straddles the line towards going all in and looking towards the future, which may not be in their best interest. In other words, this type of deal may not be enough to push the Lakers into the tier of elite Western Conference teams and could still result in an early playoff for them while also causing them to give up some future assets in the process.

It would certainly improve their roster, but they may want to be more aggressive in a deal for someone like Jerami Grant or avoid making it entirely.

Should the Trail Blazers accept?

When the Blazers were linked to the Lakers this summer, it was made known that they aren't interested in acquiring D'Angelo Russell in any potential deal with them. They actually may want to reconsider that.

Russell could help the Blazers in two key areas they are significantly struggling in this season as a playmaker and three-point shooter. He's not playing well so far in 2024-25, shooting just 40 percent from the field and 29 percent from three, but that also provides the Blazers with an opportunity to buy low on the former No. 2 overall pick.

Christian Wood and Jalen Hood-Schifino should be viewed as salary fillers more than anything, as it's unlikely either would make an impact for the Blazers (or even stay on the roster) if this deal were to get done.

The fact that it's a lottery-protected first-round pick is a potential deal breaker for Portland. The Lakers aren't positioning themselves well for their post-James era (although, since they're the Lakers, they could land yet another superstar in free agency to replace James at some point).

Williams' trade value has been skyrocketing since his successful return from injury, and that alone should net an unprotected (or at least a lesser protected) first-round pick. The Blazers shouldn't be in a rush to trade Time Lord and could potentially consider building around both him and Donovan Clingan as their defensive anchors of the future. They don't need to make a trade just for the sake of moving him, which is what this deal feels like.

Trail Blazers mock trade grade: C