One of the more underrated storylines of the 2023 draft lottery was Portland moving up to the top three, which drastically raised its value across the league. With a chance to pick up Brandon Miller or even potentially Scoot Henderson, Portland will have to choose between keeping the pick and going young or trading the pick and packaging it in a deal for an established veteran star.
According to Kevin O’Conner of The Ringer, the Blazers remain committed to winning with Lillard and are looking for ways to use that pick, in tandem with some of their own players, to find the best available co-star for Dame.
“My league sources say that Portland’s interest in building around Lillard is genuine. The front office is exploring deals for the no. 3 pick, and it’s also open to moving Anfernee Simons. Jaylen Brown, Pascal Siakam, or Mikal Bridges would make sense as potential targets via trade, but it’s unclear what level of appetite the Blazers have for that kind of trade. Come draft night, they might just pick.”
Trail Blazers hope to trade No. 3 pick with Simons for star to put next to Lillard, want to re-sign Grant https://t.co/zGFxflfrTY
— Kurt Helin (@basketballtalk) June 11, 2023
The third pick on its own might not be enough to land a needle-mover, but the inclusion of Anfernee Simons should sweeten up any potential trade package from Portland. While he has his flaws (especially defensively), Simons is a young and explosive sharpshooter who can go off 30+ on any given night.
For most rosters, he’d be a major boost offensively, but it’s still a mystery what teams would be willing to give up to get him.
Damian Lillard May Consider Trade Request If Blazers Keep The Pick
Portland GM Joe Cronin will be a busy man this summer. With so much trade buzz across the NBA, he’ll have to figure out which move is the best for his franchise and the solution may not be obvious at first.
But no matter what happens, we know where Dame stands on this issue. He wants to win now, and anything less than that from the Blazers could spell the end of his timeless tenure there.
“Haynes on Lillard’s feelings about Portland and the 3rd pick: Based off what he’s said, if they keep that pick, whether it’s Scoot or anybody else, I think a serious conversation will be had about potentially parting ways,” wrote ClutchPoints’ Erik Slater.
At this point, we will just have to wait and see how this all plays out, but the future of the very franchise hangs in the balance for Portland. How they navigate this summer and who they choose to keep around is sure to influence their success for years to come.
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