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http://hoopshype.com/2018/01/23/four-potential-trade-packages-for-deandre-jordan/
Portland Trail Blazers
The New York Times’ Marc Stein surprised basketball aficionados with the following news on Jan. 22:
The report came as somewhat of a shock because the Portland Trail Blazers like to tout their Big Three of Damian Lillard, CJ McCollumand big man Jusuf Nurkic as their building blocks of the future.
It’s only right, as the trio did make a nice run late last season after the team acquired the Bosnian center from the Denver Nuggets.
This year, however, the same success has been hard to come by.
The Blazers boast a mediocre 104.5 offensive rating in 2017-18, the league’s No. 16 mark, and for a team with two scorching scorers like Lillard and McCollum on the roster, that’s simply unacceptable.
The dirty secret for Portland is that Nurkic has struggled mightily this season.
Although his play picked up a bit recently, the Blazers are actually 2.3 points per 100 possessions worse with their starting center on the floor.
Among 5s who attempt at least 10 shots nightly, Nurkic has the sixth-lowest field-goal percentage at 47.1 percent. Even more damning: Of the five centers who shoot a lower percentage, all of them attempt at least three triples per contest; Nurkic has taken seven all year long.
His blend of awkward flip shots near the rim and long 2-pointers have made him a greatly inefficient player in his fourth campaign, so it makes sense why Portland may quietly want help down low.
To acquire Jordan as Stein suggested, a package of Nurkic, Shabazz Napier and Evan Turner checks out financially.
The Blazers would be savvy to sell high on Napier, who finally, in his age-26 season, is starting to resemble the prospect who made LeBron tweet the following back in 2014:
But on top of those three players, since the Clippers would be doing Portland a major favor by taking Turner’s bloated contract off their hands, the Blazers are probably going to have to add their 2018 first-round pick to the pot as additional sweetener.
Would that big of a haul be worth it for Los Angeles’ behemoth?
It’s tough to tell, but at the very least, adding a veteran like Jordan, who’s so aware of his limitations and plays to his strengths so exquisitely, would give the Blazers’ offense a much-needed jolt of life. And he would only help bolster their seventh-ranked defense.
Meanwhile, in return, the Clippers would get an exciting, relatively young point guard, a serviceable wing, a starting-level center and a premium asset in the form of an unprotected first-round pick.
Final package: Evan Turner, Shabazz Napier, Jusuf Nurkic, 2018 first-round pick
Portland Trail Blazers
The New York Times’ Marc Stein surprised basketball aficionados with the following news on Jan. 22:
The report came as somewhat of a shock because the Portland Trail Blazers like to tout their Big Three of Damian Lillard, CJ McCollumand big man Jusuf Nurkic as their building blocks of the future.
It’s only right, as the trio did make a nice run late last season after the team acquired the Bosnian center from the Denver Nuggets.
This year, however, the same success has been hard to come by.
The Blazers boast a mediocre 104.5 offensive rating in 2017-18, the league’s No. 16 mark, and for a team with two scorching scorers like Lillard and McCollum on the roster, that’s simply unacceptable.
The dirty secret for Portland is that Nurkic has struggled mightily this season.
Although his play picked up a bit recently, the Blazers are actually 2.3 points per 100 possessions worse with their starting center on the floor.
Among 5s who attempt at least 10 shots nightly, Nurkic has the sixth-lowest field-goal percentage at 47.1 percent. Even more damning: Of the five centers who shoot a lower percentage, all of them attempt at least three triples per contest; Nurkic has taken seven all year long.
His blend of awkward flip shots near the rim and long 2-pointers have made him a greatly inefficient player in his fourth campaign, so it makes sense why Portland may quietly want help down low.
To acquire Jordan as Stein suggested, a package of Nurkic, Shabazz Napier and Evan Turner checks out financially.
The Blazers would be savvy to sell high on Napier, who finally, in his age-26 season, is starting to resemble the prospect who made LeBron tweet the following back in 2014:
But on top of those three players, since the Clippers would be doing Portland a major favor by taking Turner’s bloated contract off their hands, the Blazers are probably going to have to add their 2018 first-round pick to the pot as additional sweetener.
Would that big of a haul be worth it for Los Angeles’ behemoth?
It’s tough to tell, but at the very least, adding a veteran like Jordan, who’s so aware of his limitations and plays to his strengths so exquisitely, would give the Blazers’ offense a much-needed jolt of life. And he would only help bolster their seventh-ranked defense.
Meanwhile, in return, the Clippers would get an exciting, relatively young point guard, a serviceable wing, a starting-level center and a premium asset in the form of an unprotected first-round pick.
Final package: Evan Turner, Shabazz Napier, Jusuf Nurkic, 2018 first-round pick
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