4. Trading Up To No. 24
The New York Knicks and Portland Trail Blazers have been linked in trade rumors before. While Carmelo Anthony may be out of the picture, a move for Maurice Harkless and the No. 24 pick makes as much sense as any trade on this list.
Harkless doesn’t seem to fit well in Portland, Courtney Lee would provide two-way value as a high-level sixth man, and the pick swap wouldn’t hurt the Trail Blazers.
Portland has the foundation to be a force to be reckoned with, but its lack of depth in the backcourt has been a consistent flaw. Lee would address that issue as a respected leader who has a tendency to come up with the right play at the right time.
As for Harkless, he severely regressed in 2017-18 and could make $10,837,079 in 2018-19 with an $11,511,236 salary for 2019-20.
Harkless and Lee are paid similarly, which makes this a somewhat lateral move financially. Harkless fits better with a rebuilding team that can be patient with him, however, and Lee is ready to help a 49-win Blazers team reach the next level.
This could be one of the more likely scenarios if Portland general manager Neil Olshey is looking to bring a veteran voice into the locker room.