Would this trade make sense for the Portland Trail Blazers?
This trade would signal a new era of Portland Trail Blazers basketball. The duo of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum have played together for years, but since the team as a whole has seemingly stagnated, it might just be time for a change.
Portland would add Jonas Valanciunas so they could get a new look at the center position. Obviously, they would probably trade Jusuf Nurkic in another deal, but Valanciunas would give Lillard a floor-spacing big man to work with — something he’s never truly had.
Josh Hart would not necessarily have to be waived by the Trail Blazers next season if they didn’t feel the need to clear the additional salary cap room. They could wait for the following offseason to clear that space. Either way, his inclusion offers a helpful wing player or a vessel to clear $13 million.
They would be the main two pieces in this deal, but Jaxson Hayes still has some untapped potential as well. His time with the Pelicans looks to be coming to a close fairly soon and maybe the Blazers would be able to tap into that.
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Overall, the main point of this deal for both sides would be to change things up. Neither team is going very far anytime soon based on the way this season is going. This trade would give both sides a chance to begin a new era of basketball with a new roster.
