The NBA’s “mediocrity treadmill” is a dreaded place. When a team is good enough to compete, but not nearly good enough to contend on an annual basis, it gets hard to identify their avenues towards improvement.

It’s a place the Portland Trail Blazers are all-too-familiar with. In Damian Lillard’s time with the organization, they’ve advanced to the Western Conference Finals exactly once. Otherwise, they tend to fluctuate between advancing to the first and second rounds.

On the other hand, some would argue that it could be worse. After all, the Brooklyn Nets thought they were avoiding the same fate by assembling a trio of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving.

Now, they’re falling apart at the seams.

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James Harden is long gone. The organization seems to have a desire to send Irving on his way as well. Most troublingly, Kevin Durant has requested a trade.

Could the Brooklyn Nets trade Kevin Durant to the Portland Trail Blazers and get them off that treadmill?