The Portland Trail Blazers are consistently a good team that makes the playoffs. During the 2018-2019 playoffs, they even managed to make a run to the Western Conference Finals, albeit they got unceremoniously swept by the Golden State Warriors with Stephen Curry. Making the playoffs is nice: but Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum are only going to get older, and it may be time to try and make a win-now move to win a championship.
The Portland Trail Blazers already have a solid squad: but to truly compete with the heavyweights in the Western Conference, they simply need more on their roster. The McCollum-Lillard duo can get you far: but more pieces can heighten the chances of a team getting to the Finals, and possibly winning a championship. There are a few ways that they can improve, and the easiest way to do that is through the buyout market.
There are two names that the Portland Trail Blazers should target: DeMarcus Cousins and LaMarcus Aldridge. If Portland were to sign both of them, they could create a squad that could potentially win the championship. This is the perfect plan for the Portland Trail Blazers.
Take A Chance On DeMarcus Cousins
DeMarcus Cousins parted way with the Houston Rockets a few weeks ago, after it was clear that the franchise decided to go younger, and play Christian Wood heavy minutes. That doesn’t mean that DeMarcus Cousins is a bad player: there were some promising moments during his Houston tenure, and he could still be an impactful player for the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Portland Trail Blazers already have a solid center in Jusuf Nurkic, but adding DeMarcus Cousins could add a new dimension to their offense. DeMarcus Cousins is a center that can space the floor, while also being able to bully players inside for easy baskets. At his peak, DeMarcus Cousins was a top-tier center: even a fraction of that can translate to being an impactful center.
Recovering from an injury is a process that often takes time, and the Rockets only played Cousins in 25 games before he got cut. Perhaps all he needs is time and a solid role. The Trail Blazers could use Cousins as someone who comes in for matchups against other big men, while also increasing their depth. Neither of the Trail Blazers’ current centers provides the spacing that Cousins does, and he could be a useful asset for Portland. This would let DeMarcus Cousins potentially join a top-tier squad in the Western Conference, while also getting the minutes to get fully healthy and acclimated prior to the playoffs.
Bring LaMarcus Aldridge Back
LaMarcus Aldridge is a player who has been thrown into various trade rumors during the past few weeks: however, the possibility of a buyout still remains. If LaMarcus Aldridge gets bought out, then the Portland Trail Blazers should move to bring a franchise legend back. LaMarcus Aldridge would be able to start at the PF position and would provide the team with more veteran leadership.
LaMarcus Aldridge hasn’t had the best individual season, but he is still a player that could provide scoring given a larger role in the offense. During the 2019-20 season, LaMarcus Aldridge averaged 18.9 PPG and 7.4 RPG. He has still got a lot left in the tank, and he could provide a great tertiary scoring option to any team that wants to be a championship contender.
This season will be one of Aldridge’s last seasons in the NBA: it would make sense for him to go to a team where he would be able to compete for a championship. On the Trail Blazers, he would be that missing piece that could potentially get them a championship. They already have a lot of talent on the roster: CJ McCollum, Damian Lillard, and Carmelo Anthony are all capable players. Adding LaMarcus Aldridge to the mix would take this roster to the next level, and could potentially win them a championship.
LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMarcus Cousins are both players who are veterans in this league, and they have the talent to play on any team. By joining the Portland Trail Blazers, they could join a squad with an underdog mentality, and potentially offer the injection of talent that the Trail Blazers need in order to get to the upper echelon of teams in the league. It is the front office’s job to surround Damian Lillard with players who can help him win a championship: both of these veterans would help Lillard do so. The Portland Trail Blazers could improve drastically by signing these two players, and that could potentially fuel an insane revenge season for a team that is hungry to get to the Finals.
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