In order to take advantage of Damian Lillard’s prime, the Portland Trail Blazers need to get creative in roster building this offseason. Could they look at a former, forgotten star to push them over the top?
If the NBA were a dance floor, it’s safe to assume the Portland Trail Blazers would be doing the “limbo.” Only the Houston Rockets have strung together more consecutive postseason trips than Portland’s seven, but for the better portion of that reign, they’ve looked the part of the team either too talented to miss the Playoffs, while simultaneously not being talented enough to raise the Larry O’Brien trophy.
Should that be too wordy for you, look no further than one number: pick No. 16 in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Picks right in the stomach of the Draft are more often than not, relegated to teams stuck in no man’s land. It’s essentially the off-court equivalent to a half-court trap. Of course, it depends on perspective. If winning a title for the first time since 1977 is of priority, consider Portland in basketball purgatory.
If merely being discussed among the NBA’s best tier two teams is the priority, there’s tons to be grateful for. Nevertheless, one circumstance will cease to change:
Damian Lillard commands more respect than nearly any superstar in our game. But he’s the only in-prime megastar likely to walk through those Moda Center doors. Portland’s finicky salary cap and contract ties all-but-ensure that to be the case.
It should be telling that the Blazers’ highest-profile signing of this decade was six-time All-NBA star Carmelo Anthony … six seasons after his last All-NBA Team selection.
But, if that situation told us anything, it’s that even players who’ve been written off by, well, writers (not this writer, though) can find renaissances on the back ends of their careers. The same observers who second-guessed the Trail Blazers for taking a bite on Anthony are the same ones who now subconsciously wonder how he fits into the bigger picture going forward.
And thankfully for them, the NBA is a zero-sum game. There’s no shortage of stars in this game, and consequently, there’s no shortage of forgotten, once-upon-a-time stars. For the Blazers — unlikely to pair a third star with Lillard and McCollum with their window perhaps closing — could seek a second lightning strike in making a move for a forgotten star. Here are a few to keep tabs on.