Skip to main contentThe loss of centers Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla to injury for the season has left the Trail Blazers so shorthanded they keep signing Shavlik Randolph to have an extra big man. That's bad.
And despite the team heading to the season's midway point with a 23-16 record going into the Jan. 13 game against Milwaukee, Blazers fans are still debating whether point guard Andre Miller is a good long-term fit.
So if the Blazers shook up their roster by dishing Miller (who got into a yelling match with coach Nate McMillan during practice last week) or swingmen like Travis Outlaw, Nicolas Batum or Rudy Fernandez—themselves on the road back from injury—what could they get in return?
Here are some big men we think are worth a look before the Feb. 18 trade deadline And if we know one thing about Portland general manager Kevin Pritchard, it's that he's always looking.
Brendan Haywood
Wizards
Upside: Solid rebounder/shot-blocker and considered a great teammate. In the last year of his contract.
Downside: Has been injury-prone, the last thing Portland needs.
Numbers This Season (As Of January 11): 9.7 Points, 10.4 Rebounds per game.
The Dish: Washington, a team in flux after owner Abe Pollin died two months ago and star Gilbert Arenas got suspended for gun-related hijinks this month, has four capable bodies at center. Haywood, at 7 feet tall and 30 years old, is the most complete. And his name has come up in the rumor mill lately, as a franchise reboot might mean developing Andray Blatche and Javale McGee. As the Wizards rethink everything, they could make a fine trade match for Portland.
How Portland Is He: Haywood once blogged that dogfighter Michael Vick should be given a second chance, which probably wouldn't fly in animal-loving Portland. But Haywood, who recently retired from blogging, is never afraid to speak his mind.
Marcus Camby
Clippers
Upside: Bigtime defender at 6-foot-11 who can shoot well and pass like Arvydas Sabonis. Contract expires this year, so it's not a big commitment.
Downside: He's old (35), and his big paycheck (he'll make more than $9 million this year) means Portland would have to part with a couple of pieces to make a trade work.
Numbers This Season: 8.3 Points, 11.7 Rebounds per game.
The Dish: The clips—whose backup point guard is the inconsistent Sebastian Telfair (remember him, Blazer fans?)—Probably wouldn't mind having Andre Miller to keep a fire under Baron Davis' feet and to work in tandem with natural scorer Eric Gordon. And with the season lost and Blake Griffin returning soon, they simply have too many big guys.
How Portland Is He: So Portland. Clean record (aside from the league-standard pot offense in the late '90s) and active with various charities. The tough part would be letting camby go at the end of the season.
Brandon Bass
Magic
Upside: A 24-year-old hustle player with a nice shot and good attitude.
Downside: not quite center material at just 6-foot-8, meaning Portland would still lack truly big bodies.
Numbers This Season: 6.5 Points, 2.6 Rebounds per game (in limited playing time).
The Dish: Bass isn't playing in Orlando, because the Magic signed Marcin Gortat (another trade asset worth investigating) to a five-year deal, while Ryan Anderson has proven a more malleable backup to Rashard Lewis at power forward. Even if Magic superstar Dwight Howard goes down, Orlando has enough size to stay afloat without Bass. And the Magic has received less-than-stellar play from point guard Jameer Nelson this year, meaning a shake-up at the point guard position isn't out of the question.
How Portland Is He: Guiet guy who keeps his head down and works hard. Nothing to hate here.
David Lee
Knicks
Upside: A legit NBA center who can score, rebound and scrap, even though he's only 6-foot-9.
Downside: Lee's contract gives him "bird rights," which let teams exceed their salary cap to re-sign one of their veteran free agents. And he'd probably be gone after this season, when he'll become a hot nba free agent.
Numbers This Season: 18.9 Points, 11.0 Rebounds per game.
The Dish: Lee's name has come up as a potential trade target for the Blazers many times before. And we're not sure whether he fits into New York coach Mike D'Antoni's long-term plan for the Knicks, who have a lot of contracts coming off the books at the end of the year—including that of chubby center Eddy Curry. Lee'd be an instant fan favorite in Portland for his hustle, especially on the glass. But it's unclear if the Knicks are ready to take on any long-term salary responsibility while courting LeBron.
How Portland Is He: An easygoing, funny 26-year-old dude who loves being in front of a camera. Yup, he'd fit in.
Tyrus Thomas
Bulls
Upside: Defensive beast (when he feels like it) and highlight-reel dunker at 6-foot-10 who would bring some fire to the Blazer frontcourt.
Downside: I'm the only person in the world who thinks this is a good idea.
Numbers This Season: 9.2 Points, 6.5 Rebounds per game (in limited playing time).
The Dish: Chicago is in flux and the team seems poised to dump Thomas—a 23-year-old who works hard but is somewhat…uh, temperamental—and might be willing to experiment with moving star point guard Derrick Rose over to the shooting guard position if the right distributor came along (cough—Andre Miller—cough). Having Thomas in Portland might spur healthy post competition with LaMarcus Aldridge, as the two were swapped for one another on draft day in 2006.
How Portland Is He: There'd be both standing ovations for Thomas' blocked shots and angry John Canzano columns for his inevitable missteps.
WWeek 2015
