This highly sought trade candidate is the perfect target for the Blazers

A month into the 2024-25 season, the Portland Trail Blazers have gotten more clarity surrounding their roster, which was a top priority for GM Joe Cronin entering the season.

Shaedon Sharpe looks poised to take that next step that Blazers fans have been eagerly anticipating as he's dealt with injuries the past two years. Deni Avdija is becoming that Swiss Army Knife type player that Portland has been lacking. Robert Williams III seems fully healthy and back to the NBA All-Defensive player he was with the Celtics. And the Blazers may have two more players on their roster with All-Defensive level upside between Donovan Clingan and Toumani Camara.

Now that the Blazers have had time to figure out the strengths and weaknesses of their roster and how everyone meshes together, the next step in their rebuilding process should be moving established veterans such as Jerami Grant, among others. In these deals, the Blazers should prioritize draft capital -- not just with what draft compensation they get back but also positioning their roster to have a better draft selection with their own pick.

However, Cronin has also proven in deals that he's willing to deal future assets if it means the Blazers acquire an up-and-coming player who fits their rebuilding timeline well, most recently evidenced by the Avdija deal with the Washington Wizards. If that continues to be the case, a player who should be at the top of the Blazers' trade target list is Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga.

B/R names Jonathan Kuminga a top trade target for Blazers

Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz mentions Kuminga as one of the Blazers' top three trade targets. "The Blazers should be looking to add any young wings that they feel would fit their system as well. Kuminga is a dream target that would likely cost the team Anfernee Simons and more to acquire, although a core of Kuminga, Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson, [Deni] Avdija, and [Donovan] Clingan would be an exciting new starting five."

The other two players Swartz names as "more reasonable" potential trade targets for Portland include Oklahoma City's Ousmane Dieng and Charlotte's Josh Green. Dieng and Green make sense as trade targets in terms of fitting Portland's rebuilding timeline and adding more two-way wings. Still, the Blazers already have plenty of depth that should only continue to improve as their young players, such as Rayan Rupert, Kris Murray, and Jabari Walker, continue to develop. They need to get more top-heavy and acquire someone who possesses elite All-Star-level potential like Kuminga.

Despite shooting concerns, the Blazers should pursue Kuminga

Shooting would remain an issue if the Blazers were to land Kuminga, who is making just 30.6 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc this season to go along with 13.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. However, the fact that Kuminga isn't off to a solid start to the season while the Warriors are second in the Western Conference with a 12-5 record could make him more available.

The Blazers' roster is still in flux, and with them being in the early stages of stockpiling as much talent as possible, it makes sense for them to try to snag Kuminga regardless of the shooting fit. Portland needs as many players capable of becoming a go-to player as possible. They would essentially double their odds of having an eventual All-Star player with Sharpe and Kuminga on the same team.