The Portland Trail Blazers are coming off a remarkable 123-103 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night. After improving to 7-3 and placing eighth in the West, the Trail Blazers look like a formidable unit. Still, there is reason to believe they could benefit from making some upgrades.
As things stand, the Blazers have the potential to be a dark horse in the Western Conference. Despite their early playoff exit earlier this year, Portland’s core, led by Deni Avdija, received a massive upgrade from Damian Lillard‘s long-awaited return from injury and Ja Morant‘s acquisition in the offseason.
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So what’s missing?
On paper, the Blazers have noteworthy depth in the backcourt and some reliable players on the wings. In the frontcourt, the big man rotation of Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams III has yielded positive results. However, with the departure of Jerami Grant this summer, the team has been left thin at the 4.
Given their title aspirations, Portland will need depth across the board. Hence, to address their power forward issues, we examine a trade that would allow the Trail Blazers to acquire Naz Reid from the Charlotte Hornets. Here is the potential trade package:
Proposed Trade Details
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Portland Trail Blazers Receive: Naz Reid
Charlotte Hornets Receive: Scoot Henderson, Yang Hansen, 2027 second-round pick (MEM), 2028 second-round pick (HOU)
For Portland, adding a player like Naz Reid would make perfect sense. Still, before understanding how this trade would impact both teams, we explore how financially viable it is.
Financial Outlook
From a financial perspective, this trade may require the Trail Blazers to absorb more salary than planned. However, given Naz Reid’s value and upside, they may see the merit in doing so.
With a total payroll of $192.0 million, the Blazers currently sit well below the tax line. Hence, by sending out the contracts of Scoot Henderson ($13.6 million) and Yang Hansen ($4.7 million), the Blazers would create enough space to absorb Reid’s incoming cap hit of $23.3 million.
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The excess $5.0 million in salary would push Portland’s overall payroll to roughly $197.0 million. Since they would remain below the tax after this deal is completed, they would view it favorably.
Meanwhile, this trade isn’t very demanding for the Hornets. Shedding an additional $5 million in salary allows them to add to their pre-existing trade exceptions. With this kind of flexibility, Charlotte could make a big splash at the trade deadline or in free agency.
How Does This Trade Affect The Hornets?
The implications of this trade may seem significant for Charlotte on paper. But in the context of their current performances, it may not be as relevant.
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Following the departure of LaMelo Ball, the Hornets have looked largely ordinary. While this could be attributed to the process of adapting or the injuries on the roster, their 4-7 record is far from inspiring.
Thus, even though it is early in the season, a change may be necessary. In this regard, acquiring a talented young guard and a gifted playmaking big man could be promising.
Aside from the two second-round picks, adding Scoot Henderson to the rotation should be quite enticing.
This season has started off on a rough note for the 22-year-old, who is currently averaging 8.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. With reduced minutes due to the logjam in Portland’s backcourt, Henderson has struggled to establish himself. Still, this may not be the case with the Hornets.
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Charlotte currently has a solid point guard rotation featuring Coby White and Dennis Schroder. But when factoring in their rebuilding outlook and Schroder’s injury, a player like Henderson seems better aligned with the team’s vision. By building him up as their backup point guard, the Hornets could strengthen their overall depth while adhering to their timeline.
Yang Hansen also positions himself as an asset in this case. Although he hasn’t received much playing time with the Blazers, resulting in underwhelming figures of 4.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.4 assists per game, his passing ability and creativity may be worth cultivating.
Does Naz Reid’s Addition Help The Blazers?
As mentioned earlier, the Blazers look like a solid team on paper, and their record serves to prove this point. However, when it comes to making it out of the playoffs, facing off against some of the top teams in the West without depth in the frontcourt isn’t feasible anymore.
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Although the duo of Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams III does a phenomenal job of cleaning up the boards and serving as defensive stoppers, their offensive upside is comparatively limited. Hence, to boost the overall scoring, adding a player like Naz Reid may be promising.
At this point in his career, Reid is viewed as one of the most skilled big men in the league. Although he is moderately undersized for the position at 6’9″, his skill set and athleticism allow him to be a matchup nightmare for most defenders in isolation situations.
This season, with more freedom on offense, Reid is averaging a career-high 17.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 0.7 steals per game while shooting 36.5% from three-point range. While his overall efficiency at 41.1% FG is marginally questionable, he remains a Swiss Army knife on offense.
Can The Blazers Make A Run At Acquiring Reid?
Theoretically, the notion of acquiring Naz Reid is quite tempting. But is the forward really up for grabs? Not exactly.
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The situation surrounding Naz Reid in Charlotte is quite complicated. Although head coach Charles Lee’s decision to bench Reid could have triggered more trade rumors, the 27-year-old recently admitted that the situation has calmed down.
From this perspective, the Blazers’ chances of acquiring Reid right now are virtually zero. However, there is no reason to believe things will remain the same at the trade deadline.
If the Hornets aren’t where they want to be by February, triggering a trade to align with their expectations from the rebuild would be on the cards. In this context, parting with Reid’s contract to acquire picks and young players may seem more appealing.
Ultimately, it all comes down to timing and standing. If the Blazers are safely in the playoff picture, they may not need to make this trade at all. However, if they truly want to make a run at winning it all, monitoring Charlotte’s situation before the deadline would be advisable.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
