After injuries dismantled their chances of contending in the playoffs last season in the NBA Bubble, there were a lot of expectations placed on the Portland Trail Blazers heading into the 2020-21 season. After adding Robert Covington, Enes Kanter, Derrick Jones Jr. and re-signing both Carmelo Anthony and Rodney Hood in the offseason, the Blazers were picked by many to contend with the Lakers for the top seed in the West, but things have not been great for Portland to begin the year. 

Zach Collins has not played in a game since Aug. 13, 2020 and is out indefinitely this year after having a second procedure done on his ankle. Jusef Nurkic, after returning last season after a horrific broken leg injury, broke his wrist and is now out until at least the beginning of March and Derrick Jones Jr. is now dealing with a foot injury. 

Not to mention, CJ McCollum, the Trail Blazers second-best player and one of the most elite perimeter players in the entire NBA, is out at least one to two more weeks as he has been out since Jan. 16 with a broken foot. 

Given all of the injuries this team has dealt with early on in the season and the fact that they are one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA, Portland is barely above .500 and are battling to even be in the playoff conversation right now. It is early on in the season and ultimately, Portland will make the playoffs, but if they do not start winning games, they could be looking at one of the last seeds in the Western Conference instead of a Top-4 seed. 

With that being said, let’s take a look at three intriguing trade targets for the Portland Trail Blazers to pursue as the NBA trade deadline quickly approaches.