Does this trade make sense for the Portland Trail Blazers?
While they did just acquire him this past summer from Cleveland, the Portland Trail Blazers would make out well in this trade involving Larry Nance Jr. Assuming Minnesota makes the playoffs, the Blazers would be getting a first-round pick back since they traded theirs for Nance and Josh Okogie is a player that can help make them a better overall defensive team.
Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum are the main offensive threats for this team and assuming they are there to stay long-term, Portland needs to focus on adding more defensive-minded players to their roster because they have been horrendous on defense through the years.
They are not much better on defense this year either, as Portland currently ranks 27th in defensive rating and are giving up the 8th most points per game to their opponents.
Josh Okogie is only 23-years-old and is definitely a high-level defender on the wing in this league that can play anywhere from 20-25 minutes per game and kind of fill the role that Gary Trent Jr. had when he first entered the league for the Blazers.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: 3 Trade Targets For Portland Trail Blazers — Pass Or Pursue?
Prior to trading him for Norman Powell at the deadline last year, Gary Trent Jr. assumed the responsibility of being the Blazers’ best wing defender and oftentimes drew the assignment of guarding the other team’s best scoring talent because of his peskiness and length.
Josh Okogie is not the same offensive talent that Trent Jr. was for this team, but his shooting abilities will get better in time and he is probably a better defender than Gary Trent Jr. Being a “3-and-D” type player on the wing, Okogie could take a lot of pressure off of Lillard and McCollum in the backcourt, especially on defense.
Portland would be taking a risk in acquiring Minnesota’s first-round pick with lottery-protections through the end of Nance’s contract, but overall, they would be getting a valuable first-round pick that would likely land anywhere from 15-20 should they obtain it.
Worst comes to worst, if not conveyed by 2023, the Trail Blazers would get two second-round picks, giving them a little bit of draft compensation to maybe add more talent via trades with.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: 3 Trade Targets For Portland Trail Blazers — Pass Or Pursue?
The Blazers need to make some kind of move this season and while trading away Larry Nance Jr. may not be too favorable, especially with Covington on the block, this is not a terrible move for Portland to make given how bad their defense is.
