Interior D is one of the major issues plaguing the 8-8 Portland Trail Blazers this season, and they may turn to the trade market in an attempt to remedy it.
ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on Wednesday that “Portland looks ripe for a trade,” noting general manager Neil Olshey’s pursuit of Hassan Whiteside this past offseason as well as his “well-documented fondness” for classic post-up centers like Brook Lopez, Greg Monroe, and Nikola Vucevic.
It’s an idea that makes a lot of sense considering that the Blazers rank 16th in the league in defensive rebounding and 28th in points allowed in the paint (per NBA.com). Mason Plumlee and Meyers Leonard are getting the majority of the minutes at center for Portland right now, and, though talented, neither is a legitimate rim protector or a particularly strong rebounder.
We’ve heard that at least one of those potential Olshey targets (and maybe even two) could be available, so the Blazers do have some options if shoring up their frontcourt is indeed a path they want to pursue.
Image via Portland Trail Blazers on YouTube
