Portland Trail Blazers

It may be shocking to see the Portland Trail Blazers on this list, but they need some serious frontcourt help. Zach Collins, Jusef Nurkic and Robert Covington are all solid players in the frontcourt… when they are healthy!

Zach Collins has not played in a game for the Trail Blazers since August 13, 2020 due to a lingering ankle issue and there are questions about if he is even going to play this year! Back in December, Collins underwent another ankle surgery and was ruled to be out indefinitely. At this time, there is no timetable for his return.

Jusef Nurkic returned to the court fully healthy this year after suffering a broken leg in 2019, but after 12 games in, Nurkic broke his wrist and will be out until sometime in March. Robert Covington has dealt with some lingering issues here and there, but has not been as reliable of an option this season. 

Sure, the Trail Blazers have Enes Kanter to “hold things down” for now, but they currently rank 19th in the league in rebounding and are dead-last in the league in points in the paint. If this team is going to live up to their title aspirations and contend in the playoffs this year, they have to be willing to make a big move and bringing in Julius Randle would be that big move. 

Pairing him up with Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum makes for a very strong trio in the Western Conference and one of the better offensive teams in the entire NBA. Julius Randle has been a double-double machine this season and is on-track to make the All-Star game for the first-time in his career, giving the Trail Blazers yet another weapon to utilize. 

This team could absolutely contend for a championship and with the Trail Blazers’ management going out this offseason and doing everything they could to get Lillard and McCollum some help, it would not come as a shock to see them get involved in potential trades for Julius Randle.