The NBA trade deadline has come and gone, with the Portland Trail Blazers adding two new players in Rodney Hood and Skal Labissiere. For fans hoping the club would make a splashy deal this February 7, the trades were understandably met with some groans.
Hood is a fine piece. And so long as he doesn’t fall apart down the stretch like last year, he could help take pressure off Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum in the postseason as a shot-creator. Meanwhile, Labissiere is an intriguing big man whose low asking-price makes him worth taking a chance on.