Subscribe
Follow Us
The Feb. 9 NBA trade deadline is just around the corner, so the clock is ticking for teams to make their final moves ahead of the playoffs. Teams such as the Portland Trail Blazers are still trying to secure a spot in the postseason, so they could be quite active in the next few days.
So far, Portland is 26-28 and the No. 12 seed in the Western Conference. As of now, they would be even out of the Play-In Tournament. With Damian Lillard at age 32 and dealing with injuries in recent years, the window for a championship with this core is closing.
Because of that, the team could be one of the most active in the next hours. Portland might try to get some young pieces to help its short-term aspirations but already thinking about the future.
With that being said, here is one last-minute trade the Blazers must make before the 2023 NBA trade deadline.
Blazers receive: Jarred Vanderbilt
Jazz receive: Justise Winslow and at least two second-round picks
One player who seems to be on the trade block is Jarred Vanderbilt. According to a report by Shams Charania of The Athletic, the forward is the “most likely to be moved” from the Utah Jazz roster.
“The Jazz value him,” Charania said. “But, in Utah’s system, Vanderbilt is a center, and rookie Walker Kessler has emerged and made it impossible for the franchise to keep the rookie off the floor.”
In 52 games this season, Vanderbilt is averaging 8.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. He is shooting 55.6% from the field, 33.3% from the 3-point line, and hitting 65.7% of his free throws.
Article Continues Below
Charania also said the Blazers are “strong suitors” to trade for Vanderbilt.
Western Conference playoff contender emerges as strong suitor for Utah’s Jarred Vanderbilt: pic.twitter.com/WMzNyGEVzS
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 2, 2023
The frontcourt is an area that the team likely needs to address. As of now, it has Drew Eubanks as the main backup big. The problem is that he has yet to play in the postseason in his career and his career-high in points per game in a season is 7.7 when he played for Portland after Lillard missed a big part of the year.
Also, starter Jusuf Nurkic is dealing with an injury that should sideline him for weeks. This could seriously affect Portland in the standings and could remove them from playoff contention depending on how the team responds to this adversity.
With Vanderbilt, the Blazers would have a quality big to help in Nurkic’s absence. Additionally, he can be a spark off the bench in a potential postseason appearance. By bringing him in, Portland’s chances of making it to the playoffs, at least via the Play-In Tournament, become more realistic.
Since the Jazz is still in playoff contention, including in a battle with the Blazers for the Play-In Tournament, Utah might not make things easier in a trade. Still, it can opt to trade him to open more opportunities for Kessler.
Vanderbilt is making only $4.7 million next season. This means that Portland would not need to move big contracts, which can facilitate a potential deal. For that reason, the Blazers could include Justise Winslow in the deal to match salaries. The 2015 lottery selection is on an expiring deal, so it would not compromise Utah's salary cap.
To help the Jazz accept the trade, the Blazers could offer at least two second-round picks. This way, Utah can continue its rebuilding with more young players via the draft.
By bringing in Vanderbilt, Portland can immediately improve. Should that happen, the Blazers will be a step closer to at least being a Play-In team.
