With the holiday season here, the Portland Trail Blazers must work on their 'wish list' of ideal players to target leading up to the Feb. 6 trade deadline. We have a clear sense of who the Blazers should trade, but knowing who to trade for is trickier, especially with the new CBA making deals more complicated financially.
So, what exactly do the Blazers need? GM Joe Cronin has emphasized stockpiling talent this early in their rebuild rather than focusing on positions of need. Besides the center position, that should continue to be the case as they navigate the trade deadline.
It's more important that the Blazers focus on areas of need, such as shooting, playmaking, and defensive rebounding, rather than positions of need. They must address their lack of wing depth and find an eventual Jerami Grant replacement. But they also don't quite know what they have yet in their young guards, so they shouldn't rule out a deal for another guard if the right one comes up.
Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz recently published a piece imagining every team's top three trade targets, given the latest developments around the NBA. All three of the Blazers' "top trade targets" are wings.
Interestingly enough, all three players are 21 years old and former lottery picks, suggesting there's untapped potential. While one is the ideal player they should aggressively try to pursue, the other two seem like more reasonable options rather than top options to get overly excited about.
Target No. 1: Jarace Walker, Indiana Pacers
The Blazers should aggressively try to pursue Jarace Walker. He fits their timeline and need for more wing depth, particularly as a 3-and-D player. Walker is shooting 38 percent from beyond the arc this season.
He's still somewhat of an unknown, averaging 13.9 minutes per game in his career. But that also makes him a more expendable trade option from Indiana's standpoint, as they already have Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin.
Between Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, and Walker, the Blazers would have three up-and-coming defensive-minded wings who can all space the floor on offense. While none of those players may be All-Stars, it's a group of elite role players that is a solid foundation to build off of.
Grade: A
Target No. 2: Ousmane Dieng, Oklahoma City Thunder
Ousmane Dieng is another wing that the Blazers could take a flier on. It's similar to Walker's situation in Indiana in that although Dieng is a promising prospect, the Thunder have too talented of a frontcourt to give him significant minutes to help develop him. This season, Dieng is playing just 11.6 minutes per game.
And while his frame as a 6-foot-9 forward is promising on the defensive end, his career 27.5 three-point percentage is a significant concern for a Blazers team that desperately needs more shooting.
Grade: C
Target No. 3: Jett Howard, Orlando Magic
Jett Howard technically fits into the category of a young wing who is a former lottery pick. However, he was a reach when the Orlando Magic selected him No. 11 overall in 2023.
This season, Howard is scoring four points in 10.5 minutes a game. His calling card at Michigan that made him appealing to the Magic was three-point shooting, an area they still need improvement in. He shot 36.8 percent from three as a freshman, but that hasn't translated to the NBA so far, as he's at 30.4 percent early on in his career.
In theory, the Blazers could use a younger version of Cam Johnson, which is Howard's ceiling. However, serious red flags surround his efficiency, athleticism, and ability to impact the game in multiple areas.
The Magic makes sense as a trade partner with Portland, especially in a potential deal involving Anfernee Simons. But if that is the case, the Blazers would be better off trading for Anthony Black, the two-way guard out of Arkansas selected No. 6 overall in the same class as Howard.