It’s put up or shut up time for the Portland Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard era. As Dame Dolla himself said when addressing the idea of continuing to build through the draft via Jason Quick of The Athletic:
"I’m just not interested in that. That’s not a secret. I want a chance to go for it. And if the route is to (draft youth), then that’s not my route. I know there are guys who really move the needle and want to [come to Portland]. But knowing that and actually making something happen to make that a reality is a completely separate thing."
Echoing Trail Blazers fans everywhere, Dame added, “But there is a difference in ‘We can do this … and we can do that’ and actually doing it.”
Reading between the lines (or perhaps it’s just clear and obvious), Portland needs to punt on this year’s lottery pick, unless it lands at No. 1, and put some other pieces together to make a trade of serious magnitude.
So in the spirit of actually doing it – meaning mortgaging the future to make a championship push in the present – here are six players who would give Lillard a star- to superstar-level running mate on a quest to the top of the Western Conference.
1. Draymond Green
Right out of the gate things get a little tricky. Green is a free agent and Portland isn’t flush with cash, so unless Draymond is willing to take a real discount to join Dame’s cause, this might need to be a sign-and-trade situation.
Sign-and-trades allow teams acquiring a player to exceed the salary cap, which means Green would have to sign a contract with the Golden State Warriors, who would then have to work out a deal with the Blazers to send Green to Portland.
Unfortunately this would, in all likelihood, mean going into the luxury tax, which majority governor Jody Allen has refused to do to this point.
Still, the 10-year veteran would be an ideal player for the Blazers to add. His combination of intangibles, championship experience, and still-top-shelf defense are three things the franchise is lacking and three things Lillard would surely welcome with open arms.
Green is a four-time NBA champion, a four-time All-Star, and a former Defensive Player of the Year. His communication and connectiveness is what took the Warriors from title contenders to dynasty.
Dame proved this season he can carry the team’s offense. Jerami Grant showed he can be a No. 2 option when called upon. Draymond wouldn’t need to provide a massive offensive jolt – he’d only need to continue to do what has made him a future hall of famer.
2. Jaylen Brown
If Jaylen ends up making one of the three All-NBA teams this year – which he should given his transition from star to superstar – this may become a pipedream as he’ll be eligible to sign the league’s supermax extension worth $290 million, but that’s only the case if he signs it with Boston.
Still, Brown has already been linked with Lillard and the Blazers, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility a godfather offer, or the Celtics’ superstar’s own desire to play in Portland, sees Dame and Jaylen help push the franchise toward a deep postseason run.
The 26-year-old’s blend of high-level offense and defense is the ideal fit on a Lillard-centric team. He’s already learned how to play with one of the best scorers in the NBA in Jayson Tatum, so Brown knows how to fill that role; he may very well be the best in the league at it.
As the Celtics have become one of the best teams in the league, the 6-foot-6 wing has improved year after year. He’s averaging career highs in points (26.6), rebounds (6.9), and assists (3.5) while shooting a career-high 49.1 percent from the floor.
He’s a legitimate candidate to make his first NBA All-Defense team this season as well.
Perhaps more than any other player in the league, Brown would be the perfect fit for this iteration of the Blazers.
3. Mikal Bridges
Bridges may be the most gettable star on this list, but Portland better strike now with the way the former Phoenix Suns wing has exploded in his first chance as a team’s No. 1 option.
Since being traded to Brooklyn in the Kevin Durant deal, the fourth-year pro has upped his scoring average from 17.2 points per game to 26.1; his free-throw attempts per game from 3.1 to 6.6; and his field-goal percentage from 46.3 to 47.5 – all of this on five more shots a night.
He’s also still shooting a high percentage from three – 37.6 – while averaging two more attempts from deep.
Bridges’ production has gone up with an increase role, but his efficiency hasn’t dropped much, if at all.
Much like Brown, the 6-6 Bridges is one of the NBA’s best two-way wings. His defensive rating in 2022-23 ranked among other forwards noted for their defensive ability, such as Chicago’s Patrick Williams, Denver’s Bruce Brown, Philadelphia’s Jalen McDaniels, and the Clippers’ Terrence Mann.
The former Villanova standout would settle in well as a three-and-D wing who can guard the opponent’s best scorer every night, knock down open shots, and hit a high clip from deep while continuing to hone his burgeoning shot-creation skills as a primary scorer.
4. Bam Adebayo
The Blazers need extreme changes on defense, and there aren’t many better places to start than with Adebayo.
The Miami Heat are a defensive-oriented team with Bam, Jimmy Butler, and head coach Erik Spoelstra, but NBA defenses can only go so far without a big man at the back.
Miami has been a top-10 defense the last three seasons which, not coincidentally, coincide with Adebayo’s three consecutive All-NBA Defensive-Team nods. The 6-9 center is also in the midst of the best offensive year of his career, averaging a career-high 20.4 points.
His average of 9.2 rebounds per game in 2022-23 could help shore up another significant deficiency in Portland, and he’s also an underrated passer and playmaker, which would come in handy if the Blazers have to trade Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, Jerami Grant, or any combination of the three to make this deal work.
In addition to his individual accolades and still-improving offensive game, Bam has NBA Finals experience and has yet to turn 26.
5. Pascal Siakam
The Trail Blazers were in the OG Anunoby business at this past season’s trade deadline, but perhaps with the increased sense of urgency, its time to up their game and shoot for the true prize in Toronto.
Siakam is perhaps the league’s most forgotten-about superstar. He’s rarely included on any top-10 lists – sometimes top-15 – but his resume speaks for itself:
- Second-Team All-NBA in 2019-20, Third Team in 2021-22
- Two-time All-Star
- Three finishes inside the top-20 in the league in scoring average
- Led the league in minutes per game in 2021-22 and 22-23
- 2018-19 Most Improved Player
- 2019 NBA Champion
Siakam is averaging a career-high 24.2 ppg to go along with nearly 8 rebounds and nearly 6 assists. He’s the offensive hub in Toronto, playmaking and shot-creating while keeping a 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
The 29-year-old’s only deficiency, and the only thing holding him back from being a better option next to Dame than both Brown and Bridges, is his floor spacing – although that’s not as bad as some people might assume.
As the focal point of Toronto’s offense, Siakam’s shooting splits the past two seasons have been a combined 48.7/33.3/76.3, and he would be asked to fill a complimentary offensive role in Portland, much like he did when the Raptors won the 2019 NBA title with Kawhi Leonard.
6. Karl-Anthony Towns
If Cronin could create a center to play next to Lillard in NBA 2K it might be Towns.
Need size? 6-11, 248.
Need rebounding? How about a career 11.2 per game average?
Need rim protection? How about a career average of 1.3 blocks a night?
Need floor spacing? Would a 39.5 percent career 3-point shooter do?
Need a secondary offensive option? How does a player who averages 23 ppg across seven NBA seasons tickle your fancy?
There’s a chance Minnesota wants to shake things up after an epic overpay for Rudy Gobert last summer. The Timberwolves should be Anthony Edwards’ team, and they should be building around their young guard with the potential to develop into a superstar in his own right.
There shouldn’t be any suitors for Gobert if the franchise wants to quickly move on after a season with the Frenchman, which makes Towns the only option if Minnesota wants to restock their asset cupboard and reshuffle the makeup of the squad.
KAT would certainly be a dramatic reshuffle of the roster in Portland, as well. He’s not the only option to do so this summer, though, if the Blazers are able to connect on a home-run swing for a game-changing NBA star.