At 21-32, the Portland Trail Blazers are arguably the biggest disappointment of the season.
This is the same franchise that owns a league-long streak of eight consecutive playoff berths, including a run to the 2019 Western Conference Finals. Three years later, the Blazers are almost guaranteed to miss the playoffs. They recently traded away Norman Powell and Robert Covington in a move that signals a rebuild. However, that will likely not be the last trade the Blazers will make this season.
To help them get the rebuild going, here are two players the Blazers must move at the 2022 NBA trade deadline.
Needed roster changes for the Blazers
The Bosnian Beast has done a lot of great things for the Blazers. When they traded for him in 2017, the Blazers turned Nurkic from a lowly reserve with the Denver Nuggets to a starting-caliber center. His play was rewarded in 2018, as he signed a four-year deal worth around $44 million. However, all good things must come to an end.
Nurkic would likely not mind staying in Portland. He gels well with the community and has an exceptional relationship with superstar Damian Lillard. However, he is a free agent in the summer and the Blazers' spending power could be limited. There's a chance Portland wants to go in a different direction at center even if he doesn't prove too expensive. Thus, moving Nurkic now would be the optimal choice, since the organization would be able to draw some value from his solid 2021-22. Nurkic started slow, but in the last 10 games he's averaging 17.9 points, 12.8 rebounds, 1.2 steals and shooting 51.7%.
It is difficult to predict what the Blazers could seek for Nurkic, but a lottery-protected first-round pick seems reasonable. The positive for the Blazers is that many teams are looking for big men, so they need to make a move as soon as possible. If they don't, Nurkic's form might fall off, leaving Portland unable to accrue real a meaningful return for trading him.
It has been a wonderful ride for McCollum in Portland. The Blazers picked him 10th in the 2013 NBA Draft out of Leigh, and he's since developed into one of the most productive players in franchise history. McCollum has played well since returning from a collapsed right lung, too, averaging 20.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists on solid efficiency over his 11 games.
However, as with Nurkic, all good things must come to an end. The Blazers' playoff success has largely been limited to getting there. They've been knocked from the first round in four of the last five seasons, exposing the limitations of McCollum's pairing with Lillard. They are both great offensively, but Portland's perimeter defense has never been good enough against elite competition.
When it comes to the trade packages the Blazers can expect for McCollum, there are more options than with Nurkic. After this season, the veteran guard still has two seasons left on his deal. Thus, any team getting him would have stability and would know they have him wrapped up for a couple of seasons. Unfortunately for the Blazers, he also makes around $34 million on average for the next two seasons.
McCollum is still a wonderful player, but paying him almost $70 million over the next two seasons might be a tall task for some teams. Obviously, another problem will be finding matching salary, but it's incumbent on the Blazers to try.
Follow Us
Subscribe