The Portland Trail Blazers have been one of the most consistent teams at the top of the basketball odds to win an NBA title every season. They have only missed 16 playoff campaigns since joining the league in 1970. Portland also reached the NBA Finals three times and even won a title in 1977. Thanks to this achievement, they were excluded from the list of NBA teams that never won a championship.
A part of their success is from the draft, while the other half is through acquiring star players. Speaking of players acquired from trades, who among them have had the biggest impact? Find out the top-four players that Portland received via trade.
Maurice Lucas
First on the list is Maurice Lucas, who the Trail Blazers acquired in the 1976 Draft Dispersal due to the ABA-NBA merger. Portland shipped Steve Hawes and Geoff Petrie to Atlanta for the right to draft Lucas in the special draft. The 6-foot-9 power forward became a force inside the paint, leading the franchise to its first NBA title.
“The Enforcer” spearheaded Portland’s quest for the title in his first year by averaging a double-double of 20.2 points and 11.4 rebounds along with 2.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game. Lucas also represented the team in three NBA All-Star Games. Before retiring from the game, he returned to the Trail Blazers to play out his last season in 1988.