Lakers Loss Raises Specter of Trail Blazers Trade Deadline

In the minutes after the Portland Trail Blazers’ disappointing loss to the Los Angeles Lakers this evening, The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor posed a pertinent question.

With two and a half week left before the deadline Blazers General Manager Joe Cronin will need to decide how the franchise finishes the season while setting up for future campaigns.

Tonight’s loss swapped the Blazers and Lakers in the Western Conference standings with Portland now sitting 13th — the third worst record in the conference.

O’Connor’s question now becomes the most pressing. Do the Blazers try and buy and work their way up the standings, sell and try for young pieces and draft picks or stand pat with their current squad or hope things improve?

Could there by a lineup change in the offing, might minutes rise and fall and could places in the rotation become untenable? The Blazers have chance to make amends tomorrow night at the Moda Center against the San Antonio Spurs, which currently sit one spot lower than Portland in the standings.