The trade deadline is less than three weeks away, and the Portland Trail Blazers' stunning recent turnaround doesn't change what's been obvious since Neil Olshey was dismissed in early December. Even with Damian Lillard fully re-committed to Rip City, interim general manager Joe Cronin and the Blazers are poised to be among the most active teams in basketball leading up to February 10th.

Just because some long-overdue change to the personnel status quo seems imminent, though, hardly means Portland can afford to be less discerning in rebuilding its roster around Lillard going forward. His age and recovery from recent surgery to address nagging abdominal pain, in fact, makes the Blazers' task of surrounding him with the optimal supporting cast even more crucial.

Here are four potential trades Portland 100% needs to avoid at the trade deadline.

Acquiring Domantas Sabonis

No team in the league other than the Blazers seems more likely to play seller the trade deadline than the Indiana Pacers. The Athletic reported in early January that Indiana has plans to break up its current core, copping to the reality that a team led by Sabonis, Myles Turner, Malcolm Brogdon and Caris LeVert has a finite ceiling in the Eastern Conference. Brogdon is ineligible to be moved this season after signing an extension in October, and LeVert doesn't make sense in Portland considering the team's existing surplus of ball-dominant, offense-first guards.

Turner is Indiana's trade bait that should be most appealing to the Blazers, and not just due to his extremely reasonable contract and stylistic versatility he'd provide on both sides of the ball. Sabonis has reportedly emerged as the player the Pacers want to keep most; prying him from his incumbent team would apparently require sending an All-Star caliber player back to Indiana.

Lillard, obviously, is the only one on Portland's roster who's definitively earned that distinction, and it's naive to think Pacers GM Kevin Pritchard would value C.J. McCollum at a similar level. The asking price for Sabonis is just too high for the Blazers. As fun as it would be for Rip City to watch the younger Sabonis facilitate from the elbows and mash smaller bigs in the post, too, his limitations as a shooter and rim-protector also make him a poor fit next to Lillard.

Moving Anfernee Simons

It's a virtual certainty that Lillard, McCollum, Norman Powell and Simons won't all be playing in Portland next season. The Blazers have already committed roughly $87 million to their three veteran guards next season, and Simons' ongoing breakout ensures even a conservative estimate of his annual value as a restricted free agent will approach $20 million. There's just no way Portland can retool around Lillard and elevate its championship hopes while spending at least 90% of the $119 million salary cap on four players, all best suited for two positions in the backcourt.

But trading Simons amid his continued evolution into one of the game's most dynamic young playmakers would be foolish for the Blazers even if their cap sheet was clean. Before the New Year, as the effect of Lillard's cortisone shot to his midsection wore off, it appeared Portland possessed no realistic path to getting another All-Star without trading the best player in franchise history or outright tanking to try its luck in the lottery. Almost a month later, Simons has staked a more forceful claim as a future star than even his biggest believers could've ever anticipated prior to Lillard leaving the lineup again.

The Blazers are approaching the trade deadline with many moving parts. No matter what happens before February 10th, expect Simons to remain in Rip City with Lillard heading into the summer.

Acquiring Tobias Harris

Ben Simmons remains an extremely intriguing trade target for Portland. Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey even said on a local radio appearance last week that his team could now be open to moving the reigning Defensive Player of the Year runner-up for a “top-40 player,” reigniting dreams of the Sixers sending Simmons to Portland in exchange for McCollum and draft compensation.

Don't buy into that hype. There's still no real indication that Philadelphia has suddenly warmed to the idea of swapping Simmons for McCollum. More telling about the Sixers' current plans than Morey's public comments is reporting they're trying to attach Tobias Harris to potential Simmons deals. The prospect of taking on Harris, irrespective of Simmons, should be a non-starter for Portland. He's due a combined $77 million over the next two seasons before his current contract expires in 2024, even more than McCollum over that same timeframe. Harris' lack of playmaking ability, off-dribble oomph and defensive mettle make him miscast as the third star for a team with championship aspirations, let alone the second banana he's being paid like.

The Blazers could definitely use some more help at forward; age and contract status shouldn't necessarily prevent them from bringing in an impact player on the wing. But the guaranteed money left on Harris' deal and yet another season of him failing to live up to it mean Portland needs to look elsewhere for established veterans to team with Lillard.

Moving Nassir Little

Simons' rapid progress has received the most attention in Rip City and league-wide. But it would be remiss for the Blazers to neglect the similar extent of Little's leap this season, especially considering the additional value provided by his size and athleticism at forward.

Still just 21, Little has cemented himself as a surefire rotation player in 2021-22, his first receiving regular minutes. Chauncey Billups has lauded Little for meeting his preseason challenge of playing with relentless activity and intensity every time he takes the floor. The next step for Little is continuing to take strides as a spot-up shooter, ancillary playmaker and all-around defender, achievable improvement that could make him a crucial cog for the next great Blazers team.

Wings have never been more valuable, and Little will still be on his rookie deal next season before Portland retains match rights on him come summer 2023. Holding onto him past the deadline is an absolute no-brainer for Cronin and the front office.