Victory Wembanyama may be the biggest story of the 2023 Draft, but the Portland Trial Blazers climbing to the 3rd pick is a close second. With Damian Lillard, the Blazers are under incredible pressure to dangle the pick as part of a package for a star, and the potential to get Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller is sure to have plenty of teams calling in for offers.
The Clippers, in particular, could be in play here due to their situation and what they’d have to offer. In a recent article, Sam Vecenie looked further into a deal with the Clippers and how Paul George has become a realistic target for them.
“For the Blazers, I do think George probably is the best singular player they could acquire if the goal is to open their contention window as wide as possible for the rest of Lillard’s career,” wrote Vecenie. “And I doubt that the Clippers would return any singular better asset in a trade than Henderson in a deal for George. I think they’d also probably be able to get a bit more draft capital, given the way the NBA works. But I would move George for Henderson straight up if Henderson was to get to No. 3.
“(He) is one of the very few players who I’d at least make a consideration on moving this pick. He’s that good.”
Should the Blazers consider trading the No. 3 pick for Paul George?@Sam_Vecenie makes the case: https://t.co/RXFhG13PGs pic.twitter.com/xnVezTlLyV
— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) June 7, 2023
With many mock drafts predicting that Brandon Miller will get picked up by the Hornets, it makes Portland’s pick significantly more valuable. Despite being unproven, Scoot is the type of prospect that can change the trajectory of an entire franchise, and teams across the league (including the Clips) will be looking to move up to draft him.
For Portland, they will need to choose which way to go: build up the roster around Damian Lillard, or commit to a rebuild with young players instead.
Has Damian Lillard Played His Last Game As A Blazer?
With so much at stake for Portland, the rumblings of Damian’s future have never been louder. Even CJ McCollum has predicted that Lillard will no longer be with the franchise by the start of next season:
“If I was a betting man, I would say this is the last that we’ve seen of him [in Portland],” said McCollum.
So, only time will tell where it all goes from here. But if the Blazers are serious about winning with Lillard, they must take action to prove it and trade the no. 3 pick.
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