3 moves the Trail Blazers can make to replace Jusuf Nurkic
3. Mortgage the future for a superstar
If Portland’s main goal is to build a contender around Lillard right now, then it might be go big or go home time for general manager Joe Cronin.
Anfernee Simons has had a breakout scoring year and is on a palatable contract. Shaedon Sharpe is playing like a legitimate superstar during the last few weeks of the season. Both have trade value; if Simons gets dealt, Sharpe can take over his spot in the starting backcourt next to Dame.
With the way he’s playing to close out the year, Sharpe may be the best trade chip available this summer outside of a top-3 draft pick.
If Portland can work out a deal to get the Chicago Bulls to remove the protections on the lottery pick the Blazers owe them, that would unlock the ability to include future first-rounders in trades as soon as 2024, alongside Simons or Sharpe.
Next. 7 players the Blazers gave up on too soon. dark
These pieces can be the foundation of a trade that could net Portland a superstar center. Whether it’s Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid, Deandre Ayton, or a shocking deal no one sees coming for someone like Bam Adebayo, the Blazers may have the pieces to go after a top-tier big man and completely flip the script on their outlook as a possible contender next season.