There's still time to get a ceiling-raising deal done, though, and adding Grant should qualify.

Grants volume would decrease while lining up alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but Grant could become more efficient on offense and more active on defense.

As a third option—or even fourth if Austin Reaves authors a breakout effort—Grant is more than equipped for the job. He could function as almost a turbo-charged three-and-D forward, providing more slashing and self-sufficient scoring than the label normally applies.

In this hypothetical trade, he'd also be accompanied by the intriguing Reath, who'd have a real chance at assuming the backup 5 role behind Davis. Reath turned plenty of heads last season as a 27-year-old rookie, namely with his unique blend of three-point shooting (2.6 per 36 minutes with a 35.9 percent conversion rate) and shot-blocking (1.1 per 36 minutes).

Portland, meanwhile, has presumably been itching to unload the pricey pact Grant signed last summer—right before Damian Lillard left—and L.A. has surfaced as a possible landing spot.

The Blazers would have little use for Russell beyond his expiring $18.7 million salary, but they could covet Vanderbilt as a defensive complement to Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe. Portland could also take a long look at Hood-Schifino, last year's No. 17 pick, while adding two draft assets to help with its post-Lillard overhaul