The regular season is almost over, and with the play-in tournament due to start in a couple of weeks, the postseason will officially be underway in a few days. That means for fans of the 10 teams that are already out of contention, the offseason and the moves it will bring with it are the most exciting part of the NBA till the next season officially gets underway.
And several moves could move the needle for teams as they look to go into rebuilds or get more competitive next season. The Hawks and the Pelicans find themselves in the play-in but it’s unlikely that either will be able to seriously compete in the postseason. The Blazers traded away CJ McCollum and while the plan has been to rebuild quickly around Damian Lillard speculation continues as to whether Dame will still stick around if they aren’t able to find serious help for him.
And according to a potential trade suggested by mocktrades on Instagram, the Hawks, Pelicans, and Blazers could be involved in a three-team deal that would see Dame reunite with CJ in New Orleans, and they could have a healthy Zion Williamson to help them achieve what they couldn’t during their time in Portland.
The Blazers would net picks for the future along with seriously good young pieces in Deandre Hunter and John Collins. The Hawks would add a proper 2nd scorer behind Trae Young in Brandon Ingram. And the Pelicans would be able to claim their own Big 3 if Williamson returns to the court at the elite level he showed in his sophomore season.
It’s quite unlikely that Lillard is moved by the organization considering he just spoke about how Portland needs to build around him. However, this would be a pretty excellent haul for a potential rebuild and could give Dame the proper shot at a championship his elite play over the years has deserved. Speculation will likely continue well into the offseason, and it remains to be seen if any of these teams make a serious move of this nature.
