Portland Trail Blazers Trade For Andre Drummond

Portland was picked by many to be one of the contending teams to the Lakers in the Western Conference, but injuries have derailed the Blazers season to this point, no pun intended! The only player that has played in all 23 games for Portland to this point in the year is big man Enes Kanter. 

Fully healthy, this team has a shot to be special, but the question is if they will ever be fully healthy. Their frontcourt has taken a major hit over the years due to injuries and this season, things have not changed. 

Zach Collins is likely going to miss this entire season and Jusef Nurkic is out again after suffering a broken wrist in January. With the problems they have in their frontcourt, Portland could be very much in the market to add an All-Star caliber big man, which is why Andre Drummond could be a prime trade target for them.

Andre Drummond is a player who a lot of teams seem to have given up on but is still a heck of a big man. Last season, he averaged 17.7 points and led the NBA in rebounding with 15.2 rebounds per game. Drummond also shot 53.3% from the floor last year even though he played for both the Pistons and the Cavs.

The 27-year old big man still has a lot of good years left in him and given that he is one of the most elite rebounders in the game today, the Trail Blazers could really benefit this year by trading for him. The Trail Blazers currently rank 13th in the NBA in rebounding and with Jusef Nurkic always seeming to be out with an injury, it would make sense for them to want to move on from him for an All-Star caliber big man like Andre Drummond.

With Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum in the backcourt, Portland really only needs to address their frontcourt, which is why Drummond is such a good fit. They need a guy who can give them second-chance opportunities on the offensive end of the court and a big man who can grab defensive rebounds and kick the ball out to either Lillard or McCollum to push the ball in transition. 

Hassan Whiteside was fantastic with Portland last year as a shot-blocker and rebounder, which is exactly why acquiring Andre Drummond would make a lot of sense. He could fill the void they have at the center position and give them three All-Star level talents to be able to contend for a championship in the Western Conference.

If they acquire Drummond and can get fully healthy for the second-half of the season, there is nor reason why the Portland Trail Blazers cannot contend for a championship this season.