Breaking up the band: Part Two – A Damian Lillard trade
Rob Ryan
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In part one, we asked how a CJ McCollum trade might look. In part two, we switch it up and look at the Trail Blazers in the event of Damian Lillard being the player traded instead of CJ McCollum.
What kind of players could the Portland Trail Blazers get for Damian Lillard in a trade?
The main advantage of the Blazers moving Damian Lillard instead of CJ Mccollum is that Dame, at this point, has more value. In hypothetical situations about trading CJ for Ben Simmons or Pascal Siakam, I have Portland sending out another young player like Nassir Little, along with a first-round draft pick.
To trade for Lillard would be the opposite. A Lillard deal brings Portland one All-Star level player with a young player three first-round picks.
Another advantage of trading Lillard instead of McCollum is finally moving CJ to point guard. It’s a position where he has excelled and raised his stats significantly. Having CJ with the ball in his hands finally allows him to reach his full potential.
A maximized CJ is an All-Star level player. As I said in the previous article, shifting Norman Powell to the shooting guard position instantly improves Portland’s backcourt defense.
One of the trade package rumors I’ve seen around the internet involves the Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown coming to Portland with Aaron Nesmith and three future first-round picks. The Philadelphia 76ers Ben Simmons has also been mentioned. Along with Simmons, they would send Tyrese Maxey, Matisse Thybulle, and three future first-round picks.
How the Blazers look with those centerpiece players.
Jaylen Brown
Brown would be the starting small forward, moving CJ and Powell to the one and two positions. He also would be the best small forward this team has had since I started watching the Blazers as a kid in 1990. An above-average defender who puts up 25 points per game while shooting over 48 percent from the field and roughly 40 percent from three. At 24, he still hasn’t reached his potential.
Ben Simmons
You can basically copy and paste what I said about bringing in Simmons in the previous article. He’d be in a near-identical role for the Blazers whether he was moved for CJ or Lillard. He is a 6’ 11” slasher/ball-handler who is still highly effective around the rim despite his glaring faults at shooting. Not to mention a game-changing perimeter defender of the likes we haven’t seen since, maybe Scottie Pippen. Simmons’ experience as a point guard would also help smooth out the road for CJ.
Damian Lillard on leaving PDX:
— Landon Buford (@LandonBuford) August 25, 2021
"I'm not leaving PDX not right now at least," Says Lillard. #RipCity #NBA #NBATwitter pic.twitter.com/aRwnuaR1hQ
PAGE TWO – What’s the difference between who you trade?