The Portland Trail Blazer are heading into the 2013 NBA Draft with the 10th overall selection after missing the playoffs last season and based on rumors they could be making a play for the number one pick and using LaMarcus Aldridge as bait to try and select center Alex Len.
According to ESPN.com, Len is quickly moving up draft boards as the most talented player and the Trail Blazers are reportedly interested in trying to draft him. The Cleveland Cavaliers have been open about possibly trading the number one pick in the draft and one player they could trade it for is Aldridge, although no deal is close yet. The Cavs feel that Nerlens Noel is enough of a question mark to trade the pick and they also think getting a solid veteran will help their rebuilding efforts.
With Kyrie Irving developing into a star and a solid core around him, the Cavaliers feel that trading the first overall pick could help speed up the rebuilding, especially because they have multiple picks in the opening round. Chad Ford reports that the Blazers rejected a deal for Aldridge and the number one and 19 picks, but that could just be a starting point. The Blazers are interested in possibly taking Len with the number one overall pick and other teams have called about trading for it, including the Thunder and Timberwolves.
Aldridge likely will be moved ahead of the draft for one of the top picks and the reason is due to trying to select Len, who the team feels has the best upside in the draft. At number 10 Len will likely be gone from the board and he will come into the league after posting nearly a double-double last season. Portland likes Len and Victor Oladipo, but if they end up trading Aldridge, it will likely be Len with the pick to make up for his loss.
ESPN has reported that the Bulls' Luol Deng, Pacers' Danny Granger and Blazers' LaMarcus Aldridge are the top three candidates to be moved before the draft and Portland could be looking to remake their roster with the move. The Cavaliers may end up sitting on the number one pick and taking whoever they feel is better out of Noel and Len, but their activeness to trade the pick could mean a deal is coming together.
Aldridge is young at 27 and the team still has him under contract through 2015, but they may see him as heading for a decline and that is why they may want Len. Aldridge showed last year he is an All-Star so it might not be the best move for the team to trade him, but with Damian Lillard coming in and playing so well, the team may decide to go younger to rebuild for the next few years.
