The Portland Trail Blazers are in a very interesting position. They have an up-and-coming roster, but with the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder ruling the West, winning will be hard. But if the Blazers want to give Damian Lillard a chance to cement his Portland legacy, a quick call to the LA Clippers about a Kawhi Leonard trade could help them do so.
Leonard is one of the best players in the league. At his best, he’s an all-time playoff performer and one of the best two-way players in the history of basketball. And despite being 34 years old, he just had one of his best regular seasons ever. He still has it.
Adding Leonard to Portland’s current lineup could make them a real threat in the Western Conference.
A Kawhi Leonard trade could give Damian Lillard a chance to cement his Blazers legacy with a Finals run
Making a trade happen wouldn’t be easy. In fact, the Clippers would have to take on one of Robert Williams III or Matisse Thybulle in a sign-and-trade to make the money work (if Portland wanted to keep its core intact).
If the Blazers were willing to give up a guy like Soot Henderson, then the math becomes a bit easier. But the Blazers may not want to pay that price. The same goes for Jrue Holiday, who they would probably hope to keep in this instance.
Should the Clippers be interested in a sign-and-trade (likely Williams), then the Blazers could ship out Jerami Grant, Williams, and future draft capital to try to get a deal done.
And considering the current state of LA’s center position, adding a guy like Williams (who would also have to sign off on the trade) wouldn’t be a bad idea.
The Clippers would go younger and add to their draft cabinet, and the Blazers would form one of the most intriguing challengers to the Thunder and Spurs in the entire NBA.
They could roll out a lineup of Lillard, Holiday, Leonard, Deni Avdija, and Donovan Clingan. Or Shaedon Sharpe could start. Or Henderson. Or Toumani Camara.
The point is, Portland would have one of the deepest rosters in the league, and that would be great for Lillard. He’s already one of the best players in franchise history, but a potential Finals run would cement his greatness even more.
And if Leonard could help him win a title in Portland, then there would be no question: He would be the best player in Blazers history.
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