Blazers Make Franchise Altering Deal in New Blockbuster Trade Proposal

Matt Levine | 2 Hours Ago

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The Portland Trail Blazers entered this season looking for growth and development from their young core of players. The franchise has entered into a rebuild and is looking for the cornerstone members to take them back to a place of contention.

They still have a few veteran pieces on the roster that can be traded to help build more future assets, making Portland a likely candidate to be active at the trade deadline in February. Guys like Jerami Grant and center Robert Williams III have been mentioned in trade talks since the summer, pushing the likelihood that they are moved even higher.

In a new massive trade proposal, Dan Favale of Bleacher Report has the Trail Blazers making a deal with a longtime nemesis. That would be the Los Angeles Lakers, a team that has been linked with Portland for months in different trade talks.

In the proposed deal, the Trail Blazers would send out Grant and Williams III to Los Angeles. In return, they would receive guard Jalen Hood-Schifino, guard D'Angelo Russell, forward Jarred Vanderbilt, guard Gabe Vincent, a 2029 first-round pick, and a 2031 first-round pick.

Both draft picks will have top-five protection on them and if they end up not being conveyed, they turn into second-round picks. This is a measure to help Los Angeles push the deal through while giving themselves something to fall back on.

Landing this haul from Los Angeles could alter the franchise of the Trail Blazers. The Lakers are fully in win-now mode with LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the roster, potentially causing them to drop down to the bottom of the standings by the time any of the draft picks would be due.

While the top-five protections aren't ideal, Portland could potentially negotiate to get the protection off one of the picks. However, Los Angeles will be hesitant to move both picks in any deal.

Getting Russell would give the Trail Blazers an expiring contract or someone that they can flip for more assets. Hood-Schifino is still young and was a former first-round pick so there could be potential there.

Vanderbilt has made a living in the league as a hounding defender and strong rebounder. He is also young enough to be part of the core moving forward.

But the big piece would be the draft picks and if this deal was on the table, Portland should certainly make a move.

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