The Trail Blazers are interested in Chandler Parsons, reportedly offering him a max contract.
Well, you know the old saying: Where there’s Chandler Parsons, there’s Dwight Howard.
Jason Quick of CSN Northwest:
A person with knowledge of the Blazers' plans says their intention is to go after both Chandler Parsons and Dwight Howard.
— Jason Quick (@jwquick) July 1, 2016
This would certainly be an exciting set of frontcourt additions for the Trail Blazers, who beat the odds last season behind strong guard play from Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum.
With Parsons and Howard, Portland would be a major threat in the West -- health permitting. That’s the big worry for those talented free agents, but short of landing Kevin Durant, upgrading requires risk. This might be a risk worth taking for the Blazers.
Giving Parsons a max contract would essentially use up all the Trail Blazers’ cap space, but they could clear room for Howard by renouncing Meyers Leonard ($7,689,700) and Maurice Harkless ($8,330,850) and/or trading Ed Davis ($6,666,667). With several team-friendly contracts and plenty of cap space, Portland is flexible.