Plotting the dream offseason for the Portland Trail Blazers
By Will Eudy
Hit a home run in free agency
It is no secret that the Portland Trail Blazers are not exactly the hottest free agent destination in the NBA. In fact, they are not even one of the top choices for many players on the West Coast. Many free agents are going to prefer to go to Los Angeles or the Bay Area to play with big name stars before opting to come to the Pacific Northwest.
Out East, Miami, New York and Boston are among the biggest free agent draws. The Blazers obviously face an uphill battle from day one when it comes to attracting players in the offseason. But this summer, they will be able to take a big step forward if they can land a big name to put alongside their core of veterans.
Portland is currently over on cap space, so a sign-and-trade would likely need to be executed in order to clear the proper salary space to sign a big time target. But if they can make it happen, the Blazers should make a run at Paul George in the offseason.
The Clippers' star has a player option for next season. If Portland can make a good enough pitch to lure him away from LA, he can always decline his option. This may feel like something of a pipe dream, but the Blazers have a better situation than a lot of teams with a losing record around the league. George would be an excellent fit with Portland's core next season, and signing him would complete the team's dream offseason.
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