Does this trade make sense for the Portland Trail Blazers?
The Portland Trail Blazers have to do something to shake up their roster. Breaking up their backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum is the easiest way to do that if the team wants to remain competitive.
In this deal, they keep their franchise cornerstone in Lillard, which is something he and the organization both want. Parting ways with McCollum won’t be easy for some people, but it is a necessary move to try and get this team over the hump.
In this deal, Portland lands another versatile wing in Josh Hart. His impact on the defensive end of the court is much-needed, as the Blazers struggled to stop anyone in recent years with Lillard and McCollum both being underwhelming defenders.
With Norman Powell and Robert Covington already on the roster, Portland will now have three versatile defenders that can cover multiple positions. Also, Jaxson Hayes gives the team a solid backup center and insurance in case Jusuf Nurkic cannot stay healthy.
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Nickeil Alexander-Walker is an explosive scorer that would thrive in an expanded role. He had a nice second-year jump and a third-year jump could cement his status as a rotation guard helping to replace the production that will be lost in McCollum heading out of town.
The first-round draft assets give Portland more tools in case they do embark on a rebuild. If they want to continue upgrading the roster, they have another trade chip in their back pocket, along with all of their future first-round picks as well.
