1. Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers are another team that could use a shakeup this offseason. After being eliminated from the postseason in the first round for the fourth time in five years, they moved on from head coach Terry Stotts. But, it was not all Stotts fault for the team’s lack of success.
Defensively, the Trail Blazers struggle to stop anyone. They were 29th in defensive rating last season, yet still finished with a positive rating because their offense was so strong, finishing second. If they improve defensively, this team could make some noise in the Western Conference.
Ben Simmons would be a great addition to the Portland Trail Blazers for that reason. They have more than enough offensive weaponry in place to compensate for Simmons’s shortcomings in scoring the ball.
The Trail Blazers land No. 1 on this list because they do have the best player to offer in a deal in Damian Lillard. If they want to start rebuilding the roster and Lillard ultimately requests a trade, you can do worse than a 25-year old Simmons who has made multiple All-Star and All-NBA Defensive teams.
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The Portland Trail Blazers can also build a package around rising shooting guard CJ McCollum. His fit would be excellent alongside Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris. Portland also owns all of their first-round draft picks going forward, so they can include draft compensations along with McCollum.
