Ranking the Blazers’ top 3 trade targets to help their rebuild

2. Brandon Ingram, New Orleans Pelicans

Ingram is by far the best player on this ranking, but the main thing preventing him from being ranked as the top trade target is concerns surrounding his contract. He's an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2024-25 season, and if the Blazers gave up assets to acquire him, they'd also risk losing him for nothing.

It could make more sense for a contending team to trade for Ingram for a worst-case short-term rental, similar to what the Toronto Raptors did when they traded for Kawhi Leonard and ended up winning the 2019 NBA Finals. However, Ingram isn't on the same tier of players as Leonard, and teams could be deterred from giving up significant assets if they don't feel like Ingram is the piece to help put them over the top.

If so, a rebuilding team like the Blazers could fit BI well. The Pelicans don't want to risk losing him for nothing, which could lower his trade value. It also helps that New Orleans' most significant position of need is center, and Portland has four centers that are all worthy of seeing substantial minutes this season.

Between Ingram and Avdija, the Blazers would have lengthy and versatile forwards to build around, but it's still risky to assume that a player just entering their prime wants to stay on a rebuilding team. The one thing Portland may have going for them in that regard is that Ingram has to share the spotlight with Zion Williamson in New Orleans, and many other teams around the league already have an established star.

If he wants to be on a team where he's the clear-cut star, Portland could entice Ingram enough to stay long-term.