The Blazers Have Reportedly Traded Kent Bazemore To The Kings For Trevor Ariza

With the Blazers stumbling out of the gates this season and the offseason moves they made not panning out as hoped, the expectation has been that Portland will be among the most active teams as we approach the NBA trade deadline.

On Saturday, they made their first move by trading Kent Bazemore to the Sacramento Kings, along with Anthony Tolliver and a pair of future second round picks, for Trevor Ariza and others. Bazemore being moved was first reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic, with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski offering the full details of the trade shortly after.

It is a curious trade for Portland, given that Ariza has not been particularly effective in Sacramento, averaging just 6.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game on 38.8 percent shooting from the field and 35.2 percent from three-point range. The hope in Portland is that Ariza, on a better team, can return to the role that made him so useful in Houston a few years back, but there’s also a financial element to the deal, as it will save them a considerable amount on their luxury tax bill.

The Blazers making a tax move when most expected them to chase down some bigger, more quality players in an effort to make a push for the postseason is a bit of a downer. Ariza’s $12.8 million he’s owed next season is non-guaranteed, while Swanigan will hit unrestricted free agency. The Kings shuffle the deck a bit and add a pair of seconds for taking on a bit more salary, which isn’t of much of a concern to them this season.

If this move isn’t helping to facilitate a deal in the next couple weeks, Portland fans will surely not be thrilled if this is their biggest move, but with Hassan Whiteside still able to be flipped for a big incoming contract its possible that they will be able to make another deadline maneuver.