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Dallas Mavericks: Could the Blazers Blow it Up?

By Kohl Rast

NEW ORLEANS, LA - APRIL 21: Jusuf Nurkic #27 of the Portland Trail Blazers is defended by Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans during Game Four of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs at the Smoothie King Center on April 21, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Pelicans defeated the Trail Blazers 131-123 to sweep the series 4-0. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - APRIL 21: Jusuf Nurkic #27 of the Portland Trail Blazers is defended by Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans during Game Four of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs at the Smoothie King Center on April 21, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Pelicans defeated the Trail Blazers 131-123 to sweep the series 4-0. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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The Portland Trail Blazers implosion in the first round of the playoffs is a bad sign for a team that already had a lot of question marks. Could this give the Dallas Mavericks a few options in free agency this summer?

The Dallas Mavericks will likely be buyers when it comes to NBA Free Agency this year and the Portland Trail Blazers may just have some players that the Mavs could be interested in. Would Portland be willing to part with a portion of the team that just landed them the three seed in the West though?

I believe they will be ready to make some changes. The Blazers have been underperforming in the postseason over the last few years and it is finally time to switch things up. That could mean a number of things for this team.

They could choose to trade away one of their big names as so many rumors of C.J. McCollum and Damian Lillard not getting along well have come around over the past few seasons. Other options would be to completely restructure the rest of the team, trading away pieces like Al-Farouq Aminu, Evan Turner, and Pat Connaughton while letting others walk like Jusuf Nurkic and Shabazz Napier.

If the Blazers do take this route, which players would be able to help the Mavs out the most? Let’s take a look.

PORTLAND, OR – MARCH 28: Jusuf Nurkic #27 and C.J. McCollum #3 of the Portland Trail Blazers high five each other during the game against the Denver Nuggets on March 28, 2017 at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OR – MARCH 28: Jusuf Nurkic #27 and C.J. McCollum #3 of the Portland Trail Blazers high five each other during the game against the Denver Nuggets on March 28, 2017 at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Jusuf Nurkic

If I had my pick of the players on Denver’s team that I could realistically get, Nurkic is my pick. The big man has taken big steps in his game over the last couple seasons but was a real menace for Portland this year. His inside presence on both ends of the court is impressive and would be awesome for the Mavs. Especially the rebounding.

C.J. McCollum

If the Blazers do trade one of their big two, I would guess that they would favor Lillard over McCollum. The Mavs may not have any sort of trade package to entice Portland into parting with the young star, but he would be an excellent backcourt addition to DSJ, especially as he has a lot of experience playing both off and on the ball on offense.

Al-Farouq Aminu

Aminu is going into the last year of his deal and could be a good option to try and acquire a young player. If the Mavs made the right offer, they could get one of the more entertaining former Mavs out there. Aminu is a menace on both ends of the court and would be awesome to bring back to work with Dennis Smith Jr. and Harrison Barnes. He would be a great addition.

Next: How Good the Dallas Mavericks Could've Been

There is no sure thing with the NBA the way it is set up, but the Blazers are going to take a hard look at their team this summer. And the Mavs should be waiting in the shadows, ready to pounce if the opportunity arises.