Blazers Reportedly Showing Trade Interest in Landing $90M Star

Matt Levine | Dec 13, 2024

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The Portland Trail Blazers are expected to be very active ahead of the NBA trade deadline as they look to put the pieces together for their rebuild. The Trail Blazers have multiple veteran players who could be of interest to multiple teams around the league.

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With Portland finally entering their rebuild last season, it has allowed the front office to slow things down and take a full look at the roster. This NBA season has been all about growth and development, allowing the organization to decide who will be on the team long-term.

However, this hasn't stopped Portland from looking around the league at other players who they may view as missing pieces. In fact, it seems that the Trail Blazers have been looking at a former NBA champion on the trade block.

According to NBA insider Brett Siegel of Clutch Points, the Trail Blazers are among a few teams that have shown interest in trading for star forward Kyle Kuzma of the Washington Wizards. Portland has been looking for some extra scoring help and Kuzma could fit the bill.

“Believe it or not, Kuzma actually holds a strong market as a secondary player who has proven to be able to lead his team's offensive attack at times. The Warriors, Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers, and Detroit Pistons have all been linked to Kuzma recently, sources said.”

Landing a player like Kuzma would certainly be interesting for the Trail Blazers given where they are in terms of contention. But it's actually not the worst idea and could help accelerate the rebuild.

For the year, Kuzma has averaged 15.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game for Washington. His ability to get his own shot could be beneficial to the Trail Blazers as sometimes they have looked stagnant on the offensive end of the floor.

In addition, Kuzma's contract would be favorable to acquire. The forward is owed $23.5 million this year, $21.4 million next season, and then finally $19.4 million in his final year.

Portland has been thinking about moving veteran forward Jerami Grant since the summer so the addition of Kuzma would give them some insurance to do so. Kuzma could play the Grant role for Portland, at a much cheaper price tag.

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It remains to be seen if the Trail Blazers will look to add a piece like Kumza but it could benefit them. His scoring ability, combined with his team-friendly contract makes him an intriguing option for the Portland front office to at least consider.

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