The Portland Trail Blazers appear to have a master plan. They want to sign forward Chandler Parsons and center Dwight Howard in free agency, according to CSNNW's Jason Quick. The two of them played together with the Houston Rockets, and Parsons was a big part of the Rockets' recruiting team when they lured him away from the Los Angeles Lakers in the summer of 2013.

The Blazers reportedly offered Parsons a maximum contract, and perhaps if they wrap things up with him, he could help them land Howard. From ESPN's Tim MacMahon:

A source described Chandler Parsons as "really impressed" with Portland's presentation, which included a four-year max offer and emphasized the Trail Blazers' vision for him.

Owner Paul Allen, general manager Neil Olshey, coach Terry Stotts and star point guard Damian Lillard traveled to Los Angeles to meet with Parsons, who is intrigued by the possibility of joining a playoff team with a young core.

Howard would give that young core the rim protector it needs. With Parsons in the fold, Portland could use the same 4-out system Howard thrived in under Stan Van Gundy with the Orlando Magic. If the front office can pull this off, it would be one of the most remarkable one-year roster reconstructions in recent NBA history. This time last year, the Blazers famously waved goodbye to four of their five starters.

Of course, Howard has not been the same player since he left Orlando. Portland was 20th in defensive rating last season, though, and this is one way to address that. The trick would be integrating him on the other end -- he can still be effective in the pick-and-roll, but he is not the passer that Mason Plumlee is and he might want post touches, taking the ball out of the hands of the Blazers' two backcourt creators.

As Portland tries to make a couple of major upgrades, it will have to compete with other teams. The Memphis Grizzlies are reportedly willing to pay Parsons the max, too, and Howard reportedly has meetings scheduled with the Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics.

Dwight Howard and Chandler Parsons at Team USA minicamp
Chandler Parsons and Dwight Howard could be teammates again. USATSI