Portland Trail Blazers get Deandre Ayton, Gradey Dick in Damian Lillard trade
Gerald Bourguet of GoPHNX.com got on the Fanspo trade machine and created 10 potential Lillard trades – all three-teamers – that include the Phoenix Suns. Since the Toronto Raptors are the current favorites to land Dame, let’s dive into the one that includes the trio of Portland, Phoenix and Toronto:
The last few days worth of Lillard rumors have included the Suns as a potential third team with the idea that they would be willing to make a Nurkic-Ayton swap. That’s accomplished here, but Bourguet takes it a step further by getting Anunoby to Phoenix as well.
It would be a downgrade at center, but a massive upgrade on the wing for a team that has legitimate championship dreams. OG would provide the Suns with a lockdown defender who could guard the opposing team’s best player every night and hit open shots created by Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.
The Raptors, meanwhile, land their target in Lillard and add a stretch-four with some untapped potential in Walker. In exchange, they give up Anunoby, Dick, a pair of future firsts (one lightly protected) and match salaries with the expiring deals of Trent Jr. and Young.
The most important part of this particular deal from a Toronto perspective is that franchise building block Scottie Barnes stays in Canada. The Raptors add Lillard to a team that still features Barnes, Pascal Siakam and Jakob Poeltl.
But would the Blazers agree to this deal?