The Portland Trail Blazers are still on the lookout for scoring help, and they're still pursuing a deal for long-time target Wilson Chandler.
Chandler is in his fourth full season as a member of the Nuggets, and he's taken on a much more significant role over the past two seasons after the departure of Andre Iguodala. Averaging 13.8 points so far this season in 31.9 minutes per game, Chandler is one of the top small forwards who might be available via the trade market.
Denver is finally starting to accept that they'll need to get worse before they can get better, and that's convenient for the Blazers and any other teams keeping an eye on their players. After over a year of resisting any deals for key pieces, the Nuggets have already jettisoned Timofey Mozgov for picks and Nate Robinson for Jameer Nelson and his expiring contract.
Portland knows they need to find another scorer to improve their chances in the ultra-competitive Western Conference, and Chandler is a good fit. Portland's current SF rotation includes Nic Batum - a great defender, but shooting just 38% this year and averaging 9.0 ppg - and both Dorell Wright and Allen Crabbe have failed to make a real impact on the rotation.
One roadblock in the Blazers' pursuit of Chandler has been Denver's asking price, which remains the same - the Nuggets want a first-round pick at the very least. While Portland GM Neil Olshey has failed to make a breakthrough yet, things will no doubt heat up as we edge closer to the NBA Trade Deadline on February 19.
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