Marc Gasol’s Surgery Trail Blazes Portland’s Future

Alright, Portland Trail Blazers fan. I need you to set down the fork because this article won’t have you salivating over the chances of a title this year. I do, however, promise this article will be the appetizer to why Marc Gasol’s injury jump starts the team’s future. News came out Tuesday that Gasol will have season-ending foot surgery. Instant thought that came to mind was maybe the five seed is attainable. Looking at it now, Portland is only four games behind the Memphis Grizzlies, a team clearly ripe for the picking. I like Portland’s playoff chances against the Los Angeles Clippers a lot more than I would any of the top three seeds. I am, however, very realistic, which brought me to my next thought: Portland at best exits the playoffs in round 2.

I then started looking at the offseason. Yes, I know most of you think it’s way too early for this, but I know Neil Olshey has his mind on the exact same thing. General managers have to be forward thinkers especially when they know a team is on borrowed time. Heck, Neil said it himself in the offseason when he called the Blazers an “emerging” team. Below are some things for Neil to consider as he attempts to take this team to the next level.

• Portland will be without a first-round pick in the upcoming draft assuming they make the playoffs.
• Plenty of money will be available to the Blazers this off season.
• Big-name free agents won’t come to Portland.
• Portland’s future will be built around Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.
• Portland needs a third all-star caliber player to get into real contention.
• Frontcourt is this teams weakness.
• Blazer fan loves to root for “good guys” that compete.
• Adding a veteran is a must with Chris Kaman on his way out.

With all of this in mind, I believe there is one player that Portland should set its sights on. This player is Al Horford. Horford is the only available player that checks every box off the above list. He is a solid player but not a big name, he is a good guy who can bring veteran leadership, he can play multiple positions in the front court and he is a hell of a third option. Getting Horford won’t be easy as he is still in his prime.  Olshey has to focus on him as if he is the best free agent to be. Day one Olshey needs to do whatever it takes to get in front of Horford and along with Lillard they need to sell Horford on why Portland is the place for him. I fully expect Atlanta to try and keep him. I also expect Orlando to attempt a nostalgia play by pairing college teammates Horford with Joakim Noah in the same state in which they won back to back college titles. Olshey has to be OK with overpaying Horford in money but not in years. This means Portland should offer him big bucks with either unrestricted free agency or a team option after three possibly four seasons.

If Portland does exactly what I laid out, it will absolutely be on Horford’s short list and the decision will ultimately be a tough one for him to make. Being on a legit contender, well paid and in a short-term deal that allows him to chase titles at the vets minimum would absolutely be appealing to him at this stage of his career. While I never wish injury on anyone, I am certainly thanking Gasol’s injured foot for putting Portland in this position. While getting the fifth seed and a potential first-round win on the surface seems near sighted, it is actually laying the foundation for how Olshey can sell this team to pending free agents and mold its future.