Thanks to their lopsided trade with the Washington Wizards, the Portland Trail Blazers finally were able to add much-needed star power. Deni Avdija has officially received his first-ever All-Star selection, which was a much-deserved honor considering how much he's carried this injury-plagued Blazers roster this season. But the reality is, Portland still needs to keep adding to that star power to truly join the tier of juggernaut teams out west.
They should look for external roster upgrades this upcoming offseason, especially if Giannis Antetokounmpo is finally on the move and they can facilitate a multi-team trade with those valuable Bucks picks received in the Damian Lillard deal.
At the same time, Portland is already set to receive an internal roster upgrade with Lillard's anticipated return. If he's able to return to form, Dame could prove to be the ideal co-star for Deni.
Blazers are quietly optimistic about Damian Lillard’s return
Admittedly, that's a big if. Given his age and the severity of the injury, history doesn't bode well for Lillard's chances of coming back to 100%. But who are we to count out arguably the best player to ever put on a Blazers jersey?
He's already exceeding expectations this year with the shocking news of his entry into the 3-point contest at All-Star weekend. Lillard's patient rehab approach, combined with science and technology advancing at an exponential rate, at least gives him a realistic shot at returning to form. Given the team-friendly nature of the contract, that's an absolutely low-risk, high-reward situation for the Blazers. As NBA insider Jake Fischer notes, that pairing with Avdija is why Lillard is staying in Rip City this time around.
"Dame Lillard is in Portland, and I think he's in Portland to stay," Fischer explained on a recent Bleacher Report livestream. "There's definitely some thought for the Blazers that Dame Lillard coming back from an Achilles tear next season will help the Blazers with newly-crowned All-Star Deni Avdija. They'll help them compete and get back into the playoffs next year. I don't see any world where Dame is getting into a different situation."
Lillard's return was mutually beneficial for both parties. He gets an entire year to rehab from a torn Achilles close to family, with a rare no-trade clause to guarantee that will remain the case. And when he does finally return to game action, Dame joins a winning basketball situation with a Blazers roster that's significantly better than the one he left in 2023.
Damian Lillard will elevate everything Deni Avdija does best
The "basketball decision" aspect of this is why it would be surprising if he landed elsewhere. On paper, Lillard and the Blazers are a perfect fit. Their defensive-minded identity compensates for any of his limitations on that end of the court. But most importantly, one of the best shooters to ever pick up a basketball gets added to a team in dire need of floor spacing.
Blazers analytics insider Tom Haberstroh pointed out that the Blazers are 20-8 this season in games where they shoot at least 33% from beyond the arc. For context, they currently rank dead last in the association at 33.9%. So this is a completely different team when they can actually shoot, which becomes far more realistic with Lillard back in the equation (assuming he returns to form).
Avdija is the biggest beneficiary of added shooting, making Lillard the ideal partner. Portland's newest All-Star ranks first in the league at 19.8 drives per game. He's also top ten in potential assists at 13.9 per game. He's achieved this breakout season despite Portland surrounding him with the complementary pieces. Once Avdija has legitimate weapons to kick it out to on the perimeter, it's only going to be easier for him to take advantage of the mismatches that he creates from his rare combination of size, speed, and strength.
The idea of gameplanning against Avdija and a healthy Lillard seems virtually impossible; teams will be forced into a pick-your-poison situation, which the Blazers have lacked this season. The way the two stars project to complement one another on the offensive end makes them a dream pairing.
Now, everything hinges on Lillard's return to form, but early signs are encouraging.