Two Trade Candidates Blazers Should Consider, One Portland Shouldn't

The Portland Trail Blazers have done well enough to firmly establish themselves in the Western Conference playoff picture. The Blazers have done it despite numerous injuries to guys like Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant in recent months.

Portland doesn't need to rock the boat too hard ahead of the February 5 NBA trade deadline, even if trading the aforementioned veterans the team has been winning without appears to be a sensible option.

Trading for two of these trade targets would be doing too much. One of them would be a smart buy to further their playoff push.

Don't Consider James Harden

If the Los Angeles Clippers don't continue getting right after a 6-19 start to the season, they're going to trade away every big money veteran on their books. That includes James Harden, who is functionally on an expiring contract.

Harden's name has been floated for Rip City, and, quite frankly, it doesn't make much sense. Though Portland doesn't have a traditional point guard, its backcourt duo of Shaedon Sharpe and Deni Avdija is working just fine.

Harden has been known to boost franchises, but not every stop has worked out. His Philadelphia 76ers and Houston Rockets stints ended problematically enough to not want to add his volatility to a largely controversy-free locker room.

Don't Consider CJ McCollum

CJ McCollum looks likely to be included in a potential Trae Young trade. Even if it feels like McCollum could fit on this Blazers team as a backup, a reunion isn't sensible in either a three-team trade scenario involving Holiday and Grant going to the Atlanta Hawks or a buyout market scenario.

McCollum is proving that he still has it and should be a high-level sixth man on a contender. If Portland becomes that, it'd be difficult to integrate him into a different role under a new regime. McCollum is a pro and a good locker room guy, but that's asking a lot of the former Lehigh star.

Maybe sometime down the road, a reunion could make sense. Maybe even 2026 free agency if the price is right. Now's not the time.

Consider Lu Dort

If the Oklahoma City Thunder make any moves at the trade deadline, Lu Dort feels like the likeliest player to be moved. With the emergence of Cason Wallace, the Thunder could afford to move a piece that's about to shoot up in price in the offseason.

Dort's style of play has been criticized ad nauseam, and further makes the Thunder a villain in the NBA world. While he's never played for anyone but OKC, he can likely greatly help an emerging riser like the Blazers.

His switchability at the forward spots makes him a particularly good fit on this Portland team. Kris Murray is the shakiest starter at the 4 with his poor shooting, and while Dort isn't a sniper, he's a preferable option to the former Iowa State Cyclone.

Oklahoma City could use a veteran like Holiday, who has been to the mountaintop for two different teams. The Thunder could also do a lot worse than Grant for Dort's expiring deal, though it's unclear if they'd be interested in his two contracted years beyond this one.