If the Portland Trail Blazers don’t like what the Miami Heat have on the table for Damian Lillard, then perhaps they will be willing to consider other (better?) offers from opposing teams. After all, Dame seems set on leaving Portland this summer, so it would be in everyone’s best interest to just find a way to make this work.
Damian Lillard Finally Finds a New Home
Zach Buckley recently listed a handful of trade ideas to shake up the NBA. One of them centers around Damian Lillard finding a new home. It won’t be South Beach, though, as Buckley proposes a blockbuster three-team deal between the Blazers, the New Orleans Pelicans, and the Los Angeles Clippers.
New Orleans Pelicans receive: Damian Lillard
Los Angeles Clippers receive: CJ McCollum
Portland Trail Blazers receive: Norman Powell, Marcus Morris Sr., Dyson Daniels, Brandon Boston Jr., Kira Lewis Jr., 2024 first-round pick (from NOP), 2026 first-round pick (from NOP) and 2027 first-round pick (from NOP via MIL)
Imagine a Damian Lillard-Zion Williamson pairing. Now wouldn’t that be something? Add Brandon Ingram to the mix and you have a legitimate Big 3 that can contend for a championship in 2023. The Pelicans will need to give up A WHOLE LOT to get this done, but you can’t say that a healthy Pelicans side wouldn’t be one of the favorites to go all the way this season with Dame leading the charge.
Clippers Add Another Weapon in Last-Ditch Effort
The Clippers, on the other hand, would net CJ McCollum in this proposed blockbuster. They too will need to concede a handful of future assets, but given how they can’t seem to strike a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers for James Harden, McCollum could be the next best thing.
It feels like the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George duo has one more year left before the Clippers decide to blow it all up, and adding McCollum could be the move that takes them over the edge. It’s a massive risk for LA, no doubt, but at this point, they might as well go all in for one final push.
For their part, the Blazers get the massive haul they’re looking for, which will include a couple of vets, as well as three high-upside players in Brandon Boston Jr., Dyson Daniels, and Kira Lewis Jr. All three could emerge as key pieces in Portland’s young core around Scoot Henderson, while the three future first-rounders they acquire in this deal will allow them to add even more young talent in the years to come.
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