Well they have actually been playing good as of late. And if you have been following them for the last few years, you would know that before this year, we had even more talent. We did have Scotie Pippen and Rasheed Wallace. Plus we had jermaine O'Neal, but he never played, so I guess that doesn't count. Point being, this is a funny year for you to have them as contenders when teams such as the Suns, Nuggets, and Seattle have been building up for this for quite some time. They acquired good (even star quality) players through trades and built upon a good team chemistry.
IMO, we need this trade. It will boost our confidence. Having an All-star player is essential. After Sheed left, we didn't make the playoffs. Getting rid of someone who doesn't want to be here (Portland) and getting someone that would like to be; someone so talented as VC or Kidd, would be great for the team, the fans, and even their morale.