The Portland Trail Blazers are reportedly "not interested" in trading for the Philadelphia 76ers' Nerlens Noel or Sacramento Kings' DeMarcus Cousins, contrary to latest NBA trade rumors.

Portland has been recently linked to both Noel and Cousins as the team is reportedly trying to solve their problems on the defensive end of the court.

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According to CBS Sports, the team is currently the second-worst defensive team in the league, allowing 109.7 points per 100 possessions. They are also 27th overall in rebounding, which has led to a lot of rumors that a trade for a big man is impending before the trade deadline.

The Blazers are not lacking in reliable defenders with forwards Al-Farouq Aminu and Maurice Harkless in head coach Terry Stotts' disposal. However, the team seemed to be not cohesive enough playing defense together, which has so far led to a 15-21 record as the team settled at ninth place in the West.

Mason Plumlee, Portland's starting center, is not much of a rim protector but has been effective in the offensive end as a passer, playmaker, and pick-and-roll partner for Damian Lillard. The problem is that because the starting backcourt of Lillard and CJ McCollum is smaller than most, it leads to more post-ups from opposing guards which Plumlee has not been able to help defend well.

This apparent weakness in the Blazers' defense has led to trade rumors involving Noel and Cousins, but SB Nation reported that the both players are "not on Portland's radar" at the moment.

Speculations abound that the Blazers are trying to keep their current core and see if the team can turn things around again this season as they did last year. Portland had struggled in the beginning part of last season only to catch fire in January and February before eventually securing a playoff berth.

The Blazers are said to be "focused on improving from within" rather than adding new parts to their current roster and only time will tell if their decision would be fruitful in the future.

TagsNBA Trade Rumors, NBA Trade Rumors 2017, Portland Trail Blazers, Nerlens Noel, DeMarcus Cousins