Trail Blazers' Trade Talks For Aaron Gordon Reportedly Stall
The trade deadline, amazingly, is just three days away. And as the clock keeps ticking towards noon local time on March 25, the Trail Blazers' chances of adding their most high-profile target seem to be fading.
Yahoo! Sports' Chris Haynes reported on Monday that trade discussions between Portland and the Orlando Magic about Aaron Gordon "have diminished."
Houston Rockets players were under the impression last week that their team was on the verge of acquiring Gordon, according to Yahoo. No deal came to pass, obviously, with Gordon's preference to be dealt to a contender reportedly playing a major part in trade talks with Houston and Orlando falling apart.
Haynes also reported that the Denver Nuggets remain interested in Gordon, though neither side seems intent on agreeing to a deal before Thursday's deadline.
The Blazers' pursuit of Gordon initially made the rounds earlier this month, shortly after the All-Star break. Neil Olshey has long coveted the Magic forward, Gordon's name popping up in Portland trade rumors Portland each of the last two seasons.
It's not hard to see why.
Gordon's two-way versatility makes him a seamless roster fit pretty much anywhere, and there's a pervading thought league-wide that the Magic have failed to utilize him properly since drafting him in 2014. Gordon is still just 25, with a descending contract that expires at the end of next season. He could prove both a short and long-term cog for any team that acquires him before the deadline.
Orlando is reportedly coveting a quality young player and first-round pick in exchange for Gordon. The Blazers' improved but deficient play at forward, coupled with Damian Lillard reaching another peak in the thick of his prime, means that's a price Olshey and the front office should be willing to pay.
Gordon has his limits offensively, but his presence as a passer, finisher and spot-up shooter could go a long way toward Portland finally overcoming its time-honored struggles on the wing come playoff time. Though not the individual defender of Derrick Jones Jr. nor the help defender of Robert Covington, Gordon's size and athleticism allows him to function effectively on that end irrespective of scheme – key for a Blazers squad continuing to develop a more versatile defensive identity.
The sticking point in talks between Orlando and Portland is unknown. Anfernee Simons, out of the rotation since C.J. McCollum's return, is a promising young player the Blazers can afford to part with, and the same, gulp, goes for Nassir Little. Gary Trent Jr. is a more proven commodity, but his value to the cash-strapped Blazers is complicated by his upcoming payday this summer.
Maybe none of those players are good enough for the Magic considering Portland can't trade a first-round pick until 2023 at the absolute earliest. Regardless, it's incumbent on Olshey and the front office to find out for sure before Thursday comes and goes.