There are two paths the Portland Trail Blazers could take this offseason. They could mortgage the future and trade for a superstar to pair with Damian Lillard to make an NBA title run, or they could deal Lillard for future assets and begin to rebuild.
If Portland General Manager Joe Cronin decides to go down the first path, he can offer some combination of Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, the Blazers’ 2023 lottery pick, and, potentially, other future firsts.
If Cronin decides to see what’s behind door No. 2, those same assets become the building blocks of Portland’s future.
The trade rumors will swirl all offseason (buckle up), but the first one of seemingly any significance has landed. Fresh off being swept out of the first round of the NBA playoffs by the Philadelphia 76ers, the Brooklyn Nets could be in pursuit of Lillard.
Brooklyn just dealt Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant at the 2023 trade deadline, so the Nets do have some assets to offer. But would they be enticing enough to tempt the Blazers into trading their franchise centerpiece?
What assets do the Nets have to offer Portland for Damian Lillard?
Despite being 32 years old and owed a significant sum of money, Lillard will still fetch the Blazers a haul. He’s fresh off the best offensive season of his career, and he did it with a weak supporting cast.
Brooklyn just left the superstar roulette table, but it sounds like there’s a chance they’re willing to sit back down already, per Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype. One NBA executive reportedly told Scotto, “Dame would be the leader they (Nets) need. I’m just not sure they have the pieces to get him, but they should try.”
If the Nets do try, what pieces do they have – contracts, players, and draft picks – that could entice Portland?
Contracts
Lillard is owed $45.6 million next season and is under contract through at least 2025-26 with a $63.2 million player option in 26-27. So aside from players who would be attractive to the Blazers in a rebuild, Portland would have to take back salary in any deal.
As far as what would solely be considered “salary filler,” Brooklyn can offer:
- Ben Simmons: 2 years – $37.8 million in 2023-24, $40.3 million in 24-25
- Joe Harris: 1 year, $19.9 million
- Spencer Dinwiddie: 1 year, $20.3 million
- Patty Mills: 1 year, $6.8 million
What players do the Nets have who would interest Portland?
- Mikal Bridges
Any serious conversations between Cronin and Nets’ GM Sean Marks would start with Bridges.
The centerpiece of the Kevin Durant-to-Phoenix deal took a major leap after becoming the No. 1 offensive option in Brooklyn. The fifth-year pro expanded his game from a spot-up shooter to legitimate go-to scorer during his short time with the Nets.
Bridges averaged 26.1 points on 48/38/90 shooting splits after the trade, morphing into one of the league’s best young wings.
- Cam Johnson
Johnson also got a chance to show more of his skill set with the Nets. The 6-foot-8 wing was always a dead-eye shooter, but despite his 3-point percentage taking a dip to 37.5 percent in Brooklyn, he averaged a career-high 16.6 points in 25 games.
Johnson is a restricted free agent.
- Dorian Finney-Smith
DFS developed his shot and turned into a legitimate three-and-D wing with the Dallas Mavericks. At 6-7 and 220 pounds, he’s built like a power forward but has the quickness, athleticism, and length to guard multiple positions. He’s a “wing stopper,” perhaps the most important defensive archetype in today’s league.
Finney-Smith shot less than 32 percent from deep in his first three seasons, but has transformed into a career 36 percent 3-point shooter and hovered just below 40 percent in 2020-21 and 21-22.
- Nic Claxton
Portland is in desperate need of an athletic center to fit coach Chauncey Billups’ scheme, and Claxton is an ideal candidate.
In a breakout 2022-23 season, the 23-year-old averaged 12.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks across 76 games.
- Cam Thomas/Day’Ron Sharpe
Thomas showed off his ability as a scorer with three straight 40-plus point outings in February, but that’s his career highlight to date. At this point, he’s not much more than an occasional bucket-getter.
Sharpe is a 6-9 21-year-old center with a strong frame at 265 pounds. He has some bounce and athleticism to his game.
These two would be throw-in lottery tickets at the back end of any potential deal.
What draft picks do the Nets have to offer in a Lillard trade?
After trading away James Harden, Irving, and Durant in a less than a calendar year, one would expect Brooklyn’s asset cupboard to be packed with valuable picks.
That’s not the case.
The Nets do have a number of first-rounders; the trouble is they’re not incredibly desirable as most of them came from Phoenix or the Philadelphia 76ers, which likely make them late first-round selections.
Brooklyn owns the following first-round draft picks:
- 2023 (own)
- 2023 (via Phoenix)
- 2025 (via Phoenix)
- 2025 (Houston holds rights to a swap)
- 2027 (Houston holds rights to a swap)
- 2027 (via Philadelphia)
- 2027 (via Phoenix)
- 2028 (own)
- 2028 (via Phoenix)
- 2029 (own)
- 2029 (via Phoenix)
- 2029 (via Dallas)
The most valuable of those picks would come down the road in 2027, 28, and 29. In that scenario, at least, the Suns might be past the Durant era and may not be perennial title favorites, which could bump their pick up higher in the draft.
Still, despite the long list of picks, none are must-haves.
Do the Nets have assets to offer the Blazers in exchange for Lillard? Yes. But they may have to give up more than they’d like, and that might leave the roster too bare for Brooklyn to be considered title contenders, even if they do acquire Dame.