Blazers Linked to $196 Million All-Star Big in Potential Blockbuster Trade

The Portland Trail Blazers might make a move for an All-Star as the team tries to build a competitive roster.

Despite having a roster full of young, developing talent, Portland made an aggressive move to acquire guard Jrue Holiday. The trade came out of nowhere and the team gave up promising guard Anfernee Simons to get the deal done.

Holiday is on a massive, multi-year contract and is exiting his prime as a player, but he provides instant defense and a steady, consistent veteran presence.

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For a contending team, Holiday still has value, though for a rebuilding roster, there are limited gains since he provides an instant impact but diminishing returns as the years go on.

Clearly, the Blazers view themselves as a potential playoff team in the Western Conference and the organization could make another move to strengthen the roster.

According to Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley, the Blazers might trade for Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, who could be on the trade block.

"The Blazers showed real competitive fire down the stretch, and they'll only get feistier with the addition of Jrue Holiday," Buckley wrote.

"They still need more scoring and better spacing, though, and Markkanen would provide both while forming a laughably stingy and wholly disruptive defensive tandem with Donovan Clingan, Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara."

Markkanen provides elite shooting and shot creation for a big man — two qualities that the current version of the Blazers roster lacks.

The team is full of defensive players who can't space the floor, and the team traded away one of their only offensive players in Anfernee Simons.

As an established shooter, he can open the court for the likes of Scoot Henderson and other dribble-penetrators.

If the team is serious about contending, there needs to be more shooting on the roster. The team can afford to trade away some defenders for offensive production.

The Blazers have the assets and motive to get a major move done, and it would be quite the statement of intent across the league.

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