Arron Afflalo: 5 Possible Trade Destinations

Oct 21, 2014; Boulder, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Arron Afflalo (10) shoots the ball over Portland Trail Blazers guard Wesley Matthews (2) during the second half at the Coors Events Center. The Trail Blazers won 93-75. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS

The Portland Trailblazers are another Western Conference contender who could be in the market for a player that could help them make a deep run in the playoffs. They have recently been mentioned as a possible destination for another Nuggets player — forward Wilson Chandler — but Afflalo could give them depth at the shooting guard spot that could be more of an upgrade than adding Chandler at small forward.

The Nuggets could push for a straight up trade that sent Afflalo to the Pacific Northwest in exchange for fifth-year shooting guard Wesley Matthews. But assuming the Blazers aren’t willing to send Matthews, his 16.5 points per game and his expiring contract to Denver, they’d likely have to build a deal that included players with expiring contracts and draft picks. Forwards Thomas Robinson and Dorell Wright are both on contracts for around $3.5 million each (Robinson has a player option for next season, while Wright’s contract is up at the end of this season), and Robinson is a young asset that the Nuggets could try to hang out to as they rebuild. The Blazers are likely to continue their pursuit of Chandler, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they lock in on a deal for Afflalo if the Chandler trade doesn’t materialize.

Next: Afflalo Rolls With the Thunder