Portland Trail Blazers Receive: F LaMarcus Aldridge
San Antonio Spurs Receive: C Jusuf Nurkic, G Rodney Hood, POR 2022 2nd Round Pick, POR 2026 2nd Round Pick
While it may not make too much sense to get rid of a guy like Jusuf Nurkic, who is a high-impact big man when healthy, for a veteran player in Aldridge who only has a couple of playing years left in this league, Portland needs all the help they can get in their frontcourt if they are to make a legit push for the NBA Finals this year.
The thing with Nurkic is that he is great when he is healthy, but he has been an injury magnet over the last few seasons. Since the start of the 2019-20 season, he has played in just 20 games and has not been able to stay on the court for the Blazers. As a result, trading him now while he still has value for an impactful veteran player like Aldridge could make sense.
While he has dealt with a hip injury this year, Aldridge has still been efficient for the Spurs, averaging 14.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and shooting 37% from three-point range. He has seen his minutes decline in San Antonio, resulting in his numbers dropping quite a bit, but in Portland, he could be the experienced frontcourt player they need to make a deep playoff run.
The San Antonio Spurs have received a lot of production from their youth this season and while they are slotted in the playoffs right now, they are going to have a hard time sustaining their success unless they figure out their frontcourt problems.
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They do not really have any reliable centers on their roster, which is why adding Jusuf Nurkic could be a tremendous addition for them. He is a great rebounding big man when healthy and since the Spurs like to play through the low-post, he is a great fit for them on the offensive-end of the court.
As is Rodney Hood, who is an experienced wing that is more than capable of knocking down shots for the perimeter. San Antonio ranks 19th in three-point shooting percentage this year, which is why Hood could be a valuable, experienced wing they could utilize in a bunch of their rotations.
There is a lot to like about this trade for both teams, so let’s take a closer look as to why exactly this trade makes sense for both the Trail Blazers and the Spurs.
