The Portland Trail Blazers are in the first season of a rebuild after trading Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks this offseason.

As a rebuilding team, the Blazers aren't really “loaded” at any position but are pretty full up in the back court. Anfernee Simons, Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, and Malcom Brogdon are all deserving of significant minutes. While Sharpe can slide down and play some small forward, he likes the size to do so with any consistency, especially on defense.

The odd man out is clearly Brogdon, the reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year. The Trail Blazers are in a youth movement, and Brogdon, who turns 31 later this month, doesn't fit Portland's timeline. It's assumed by many around the league that the Blazers will move on from Brogdon around the February trade deadline. While that's not a given – Portland likes Brogdon's steady leadership among the young roster – it is probable that they end up with an offer too good to refuse.

The Blazers are in asset-acquisition mode and have a handful of players that could draw interest around the NBA at the trade deadline. But who should Portland look to acquire? The most likely return that the Blazers will seek is draft compensation. But outgoing and incoming salaries need to (roughly) match in NBA deals, so in any trade, someone would be on their way to Portland. Here are some potential Blazers trade targets early in the 2023-24 NBA season:

Jarred Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt just made his return to the Los Angeles Lakers this week after missing the first 20 games of the season with heel bursitis. The Lakers have been up and down this season but will likely want to see a fully healthy roster before making any moves. Should D'Angelo Russell be on the move as rumored, the Lakers will need a steady hand that can play both guard positions – and Brogdon fits the bill perfectly.

The Blazers, meanwhile, need more size up front. In particular, they're looking for lengthy defenders that can defend. Head coach Chauncey Billups has Portland operating the 12th-best defense in the NBA – a far cry from the porous defenses of the last few years. Vanderbilt fits that style perfectly and could be available if the Lakers decide to shake things up.

Rui Hachimura

Similar to Vanderbilt, Hachimura could be available if (or when) the Lakers decide they need to shake things up. Hachimura, who’s on a three-year, $51 million deal, is shooting over 50 percent from the field for the first time in his career, and his 43 percent from beyond the arc is his highest percentage since his third season.

While he's not the defensive or rebounding presence that Vanderbilt is, Hachimura is a floor stretching power forward that, at 25 years old, just barely fits into the Blazers' youth movement. He would make a solid backup for Jerami Grant, and could capably slot in at the starting four should Grant be traded in the next year or so.

De'Andre Hunter

Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter has seen Jalen Johnson emerge as Atlanta's third-best player while playing the same position and cutting into Hunter's minutes. Johnson is out for 3-5 more weeks with a wrist injury, but it's clear that Atlanta believes that Johnson is the team's wing of the future.

Hunter was part of the Hawks' talks with the Raptors centered around Pascal Siakam, and his $20 million salary and versatility on both sides of the ball playing both forward spots at times makes him a trade candidate to watch in a potential deal.