Arron Afflalo to Trail Blazers: Latest Trade Details, Comments and Reaction

The Portland Trail Blazers upgraded their potential playoff rotation by acquiring guard Arron Afflalo from the Denver Nuggets. 

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports initially confirmed a trade was in place and shared the package that will bring Afflalo to Portland:

Portland later confirmed the move on Thursday, and president of basketball operations Neil Olshey provided a statement via the team's official site:

"

Arron is a proven winner with playoff experience who will be easily integrated into our culture. He possesses a skill set that compliments our style of play on both ends of the floor and will make an immediate impact as we continue our playoff push. Alonzo is an elite athlete and defender who adds a unique element to our perimeter. We thank Thomas, Will and Victor for their contributions to the team and wish them all the best for the future.

"

According to Wojnarowski, the first-round pick being sent to Denver is lottery-protected in 2016 and 2017. If Denver doesn't get the pick in those two years, it becomes two second-round picks. Robinson is expected to be bought out by the Nuggets, per Jabari Young of CSNNW.com

The latest move will mark the fifth stop for Afflalo during his eight seasons in the NBA. He previously played for the Detroit Pistons and the Orlando Magic to go along with a pair of stints in Denver; this one lasted less than a full season.

The UCLA product has developed into a solid all-around contributor. His numbers are down a bit this season, but he averaged 18 points while chipping in more than three rebounds and assists per game with the Magic last season. He also remains a steady defender.

ESPN Stats & Info provided insight regarding why the Blazers targeted Afflalo:

But he's been unable to lock down a consistent role with one team for an extended period. He doesn't view his constant presence on the rumor mill as a negative, though. He explained why to Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post:

"

I've been through it for the past few years now. It was really heavy last season. For me, it is what it is. I kind of just look at the perspective of my career, just where I started and where I'm headed. To me, rumors, in a sense, tend to be a positive thing. It just shows my development and my growth as a player.

"

Perhaps the biggest question is what type of role he'll settle into following the trade. He's spent almost the entirety of the past six seasons as a starter after coming off of the bench for his first two years, so he has experience doing both.  

Afflalo is not the most efficient player in the league, especially with his field-goal percentage (42.8) and three-point percentage (33.7) down this season, but he can make an across-the-board impact. Finding his niche is the key to getting him back toward his peak.

The Nuggets made the decision to start shaking things up after their lackluster start to the season. This deal is just the latest step in that process. Whether the final product will be an improvement is a mystery at this point.

Now, Afflalo begins the quest of trying to find his comfort zone with a new team once again.