The Portland Trail Blazers are a hot commodity in the rumor mill right now. On one hand, they have a superstar guard in Damian Lillard that is doing a media tour hinting he might be traded. On the other, teams are scrambling to leak their interest in a top-3 pick.
We discussed earlier this week the possibility that the Blazers could work out a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans directly, sending the No. 3 pick and receiving All-Star forward Brandon Ingram in return. While that’s absolutely still on the table as an option, the other route is for the Blazers and Pelicans to be a part of a three-team deal.
Could the Blazers work out a three-team trade?
If the Pelicans want to hold onto their two stars, the Blazers may not be interested in the exact package of other players and picks that the Pels are offering – or similarly, if the Pelicans don’t want what the Blazers are sending back. In that case, another path is to include a third team, who can facilitate getting the key asset (the No. 3 pick) to its destination.
Our sister site Wiz of Awes recently put together such a deal that would see the Washington Wizards step in and help get the deal done. Let’s see what they proposed, and then discuss why it might be an exciting path forward for the Trail Blazers.