Portland Trail Blazers Receive: C Christian Wood
Houston Rockets Receive: C Jusuf Nurkic, F Nassir Little, POR 2022 1st Round Pick (Lottery-Protected), POR 2024 1st Round Pick (Lottery-Protected)
Jusuf Nurkic has turned himself into a double-double machine since joining the Trail Blazers during the 2016-17 season and is a valuable player in their frontcourt, but he is in the final year of his contract. The Bosnian big man is set to make $12M this season on an expiring contract, making him a player that Portland could look to leverage for more immediate value.
Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, and Norman Powell make up a strong scoring trio in the Western Conference, but the Blazers have started out the new season very slow.
They are 3-4 through their first 7 games and suffering some bad losses to the Kings, Clippers, and 76ers (who were without Embiid and Harris) early on in the season, this is a team that could quickly look to turn things around by making a big trade.
Going out and getting Christian Wood would certainly be a big move for Portland to make and this could be a move that immediately helps them regroup and turn into one of the better teams in the Western Conference.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Could Houston Rockets Make “Surprising” Christian Wood Trade?
The Western Conference is not as good this season as it has been over the last few years, but in order for Portland to have a chance at making the Western Conference Finals, they are going to need some more scoring talent on their roster.
Wood can score, defend and has become a threat from beyond the arc on offense, which is why he fits in with the likes of Lillard and McCollum.
Three-point shooting has always been a point of emphasis for the Portland Trail Blazers and so far this year, they rank 8th in the league in three-point shooting. Having a stretch big man to run pick-and-roll sets with their guards is highly advantageous to the Blazers and is something they do not currently have with Nurkic right now.
There is also a fatigue concern with Nurkic pertaining to him on the Blazers this season. He is only averaging 25.3 minutes per game and his minutes have been declining over the past few years.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Could Houston Rockets Make “Surprising” Christian Wood Trade?
Moving on from Jusuf Nurkic now while they can is something Portland should look to do and getting Christian Wood is a great deal for them.
