The F5 has "Take Week," where they publish a "week of anonymous takes and rants from NBA insiders and outsiders." One of these bold takes pertained to Paolo Banchero, referring to the Orlando Magic forward as "empty calories." The primary knock on Banchero was that he makes the offense way too stagnant with a Carmelo Anthony style of play despite being built like LeBron James.
The anonymous writer proposes a bold solution that could benefit the Blazers:
"Send him back to the Pacific Northwest by making a deal with Portland. I’d rather have Deni Avdija and a lottery pick in this year’s draft than Paolo on a max."
Mock trade sends Paolo Banchero to Blazers
The Blazers currently only have a 20.2 percent chance of landing in the top four. If they are miraculously able to get one of Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, or V.J. Edgecombe, then this deal should be off the table. But, assuming they do wind up in the 8-11 pick range, they would have to consider this.
Banchero is a 22-year-old All-Star and would be the go-to piece the Blazers are missing in their rebuild. The Ringer has him ranked as the 23rd-best player in the NBA, while Avdija sits at 66.
Just a few months ago, you'd absolutely have to take this deal as Portland. It's not as clear-cut anymore. Since the All-Star break, Avdija has been playing like a top-25 player himself, averaging 22.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 5.1 assists while shooting 43.1 percent from beyond the arc.
We'd still take Paolo's career trajectory over Deni's in a vacuum, but it's closer than many think. Giving up a valuable first-round pick and factoring in Avdija's contract wouldn't make accepting any easier.
Avdija's contract is two years longer than Banchero's. It would be extremely pricey to extend Banchero and Shaedon Sharpe. Keeping Avdija around will give the Blazers a lot more flexibility to retain their young core and add complementary pieces to it.
Avdija shouldn't be untouchable in today's NBA, where Luka Doncic is somehow wearing a Lakers jersey. This mock proposal would give the Blazers a lot to consider.
The fact that we have to even debate getting on board for Portland landing a 22-year-old All-Star shows how much Deni's stock has risen. The Blazers' future is already in good hands, with Avdija emerging as the face of their rebuild.