The Trail Blazers had some lottery luck, moving up to the No. 3 spot in the draft order on Tuesday.
That presents an interesting dilemma for Portland, which still seems desperate to quickly build a contender around Damian Lillard. The Blazers could use the pick as bait to acquire an All-Star level player or they could simply hold onto it and draft the best available player.
We all know what will the Spurs will do with the top pick – select potential superstar Victor Wembanyama. The Hornets hold the second slot and there’s no clear-cut selection after the French big man. If the Hornets go by need, they’d most likely take forward Brandon Miller rather than point guard Scoot Henderson, considering their best young player is LaMelo Ball.
Miller would also seem like a better fit for the Trail Blazers, since they already have a floor leader. There are other players worthy of consideration at the third spot, including Amen Thompson, Ausar Thompson, Cam Whitmore, Jarace Walker and Anthony Black.
Miller could immediately fill a void in the frontcourt if he’s still on the board at No. 3, as the Blazers’ small forward spot was in flux this season. Power forward Jerami Grant is headed to free agency and while Portland’s front office has stated it wants to re-sign Grant, there’s no guarantee he’ll be back.
Jusuf Nurkic and Anfernee Simons are signed through the 2025/26 season, though the Blazers must determine whether they’re truly part of the long term plan. Portland also has to decide whether to extend qualifying offers to Matisse Thybulle and Cam Reddish.
All of those personnel moves must be factored into their decision whether to trade the pick to get Lillard a proven star sidekick, or draft a player ready to make an impact.
Even though the free agent market isn’t dazzling, a lot of top talents such as Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Karl-Anthony Towns and Pascal Siakam could be on the trading block.
That brings us to today’s topic: Should the Trail Blazers keep the No. 3 overall pick in the draft or trade the pick as part of a package to get a proven veteran star?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
With the new CBA and all the player movement any small market team is going to get anymore is at best a 2-4 year window.
If you and develop your own players and they sign their first extension they’re going to want to play somewhere else or they’re going to be too expensive to build around.
The Blazers should go ahead and trade the pick to a PG needy team or a team that needs to rebuild.
I don’t the Bulls plan on trading any big names this off-season but the Blazers should shoot their shot. Simons, Sharpe, 2 firsts and the GP3 trade exception for DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso. If it’s no go start talking to Toronto about Anunoby.
Is that a joke? This CBA (like every CBA since 2011) was written by the small market owners (at least from the owner side). They may not be the brighest group, but their clear intent was to benefit small market teams at the expense of large market teams.
Is this a joke?
As if the NBA turns down or snubs any owners of any kind
The NBA supports the $$$ losing WNBA, and now it snubs large market owners in the league that launder, and earn all its profits to pay for the WNBA?
Not likely, but small/large market NBA propaganda has gotten the better of you.
@Xmaxx – Who is “the NBA” in your mind? Obviously, business isn’t your thing, so I’ll keep it simple. At a negotiating table for any complex contract (certain a CBA is as complex as any), there are the sides (here NBA owners and NBA players), and sub-groups within each side – and, yes, they compete with each other for the right to get their concerns in the document.
Each team, and owner may have several corporations involved in running, and owning the team.
The NBA is its own corporation, and is also paid.
If you think the NBA corporation is run by an equal collective of owners & players I’d suggest you do a little research.
Owners are financially rewarded for parking their $$$ with the NBA is the essential selling propaganda of the NBA to its owners, and future owners. Its like investment banking, and the NBA is the bank, and the owners the investors.
I have a very clear comprehension of what lawless American corporations, banks, and politicians do
I really think the blazers should go in the opposite direction than they want. They want to trade this pick to have someone to team up with Dame but I think they should trade Dame and stock up for the future.
Who would say no?
Magic receive Dame
Trailblazers receive Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Issac, #6 overall, #11 overall, and Denver’s pick in 2025.
Blazers would have a young guard and 3 lottery picks this year.
Magic would have a star point guard to pair with their young and talented roster.
Portland has so many options and trading Damian Lillard ain’t one. They are in a position to go several different ways in a buyers market. In the past, they were hamstrung with awful contracts on guys either hurt or not producing. Now they can negotiate and bid teams down .
I can’t wait to see what they get assembled. I hope to see Thybulle stay, great defense. I’d keep Grant unless he was the piece they upgrade. Like Grant + Simons + FRP for Lavine + Caruso.
Simons is the most replaceable and could really make a positive impact elsewhere. Nurkic really does create a lot of space for Dame, so I don’t see how they upgrade here… it would be a big change to see Nurk out of the line-up.
I dont think thats enough for dame.suggs is bench player,ji always injury,denver pick will be late pick.blazer should ask for franz not suggs.then draft scoot. Scoot,simons,franz,jerami,and new c.
Obviously it’s not enough lol. What kind of trade is this lol.
Magic won’t give up Franz Wagner for Dame, are you crazy?
Blazers would be fools to let Grant walk. I think they package the pick. And trade for a star. But who ??
I know Rockets and Pistons. Would love to move up for Scoot. But Blazers need players, a player Next yr. Both teams don’t really have that. If I’m Blazers I explore Ben Simons and Rudy, Randle.
Trading with the Raps makes the most sense, it would be Siakam for the 3rd pick as the framework. However, I’d like to see the trade expanded to include sign and trades with FVV, GT Jr. & Poetle, maybe add Boucher. Raps would sign and trade Grant, take Nurkic, Simon’s, Sharpe, Reddish and Thybull or sign and trade Winslow.
Resets the Raps core around Scotties timeline and makes POR an instant contender, while allowing them to keep their future FRPs.
I love Lilliard and want the best for Portland but the Blazers are not just a player or two away. DeRozan, LaVine, Siakim, Anunoby…none of those guys are legit 2nd options for a championship contender. They’re 3s at best. Unfortunately Portland just doesn’t have the pieces to go out and get a legit star number 2 option like Bridges…and even if they did they wouldn’t have the resources left to fill out a real competitive roster. The team is no man’s land and Dame and the fans are the ones left to suffer it out. I really wanted him to win a title there but it’s not realistic. I hate to say it but it’s best to eat a crap sandwich and put him on the block and rebuild.
That’s my argument too. I don’t think they are one player away.
I just watched MIA go up 2-0 v BOS with Butler and…. team. I guess my argument is that another superstar is not required if they can build the right mix of skills around Dame… and get some depth already…
Bam is a great a player Lowery is playing well too.
Definitely great players but they aren’t top 10. Just working hard and following Butler’s lead.
They should go after Bradley Beal
Scissors…you puffing way too much weed. The Raptors are not giving away all their best players.
Beal isn’t going g to do much to help the Blazers get past Jokic.
If you’re going after a star number 2, you gotta have a plan on how that addition is gonna help ya beat the beast in Denver.
The Blazer are not using wisdom if they think keeping Lillard around is their best direction. Lillard can’t and won’t play defense, he’s horrible in the pick and roll because he’s not a good passer. He dominates the ball while teammates stand around and then throws up horrible shots, he demands to play extended minutes while talented teammates stagnate on the bench. He has never made his teammates better in fact they’ve regressed year after year under his leadership. This team was better off without him and could have won more games without him. Instead they tanked and removed anyone who gave them a chance to win now. This team has many good young players who could win without playing ISO ball hog O, look at how they started playing deep into the bench and winning. Then they changed to starters playing long minutes and they let the bench rot. When that brought losses they started shutting players down and brought in g-leaguers to finish. They have great young talent in Sharpe, Simons, Walker, Watford, Eubanks, Johnson and should build around Sharpe and Simons over the gray haired Lillard who can’t guard his grandma and demands Lame-time over the team game. They tried so hard to get lillard the scoring title but when they failed they shut him down.
10th in the league in assists per game and 3rd in scoring while running one of the top pick and roll offenses with Nurkic. When Portland went deep in it’s bench won very few games. “This team … and could have won more games without him.” Even here at sports-soap-opera.com this is award winningly daffy as comments go.
10th? That doesn’t make him a good PG, passer or teammate. And top pick and roll with N’Urkle? C’mon man. They started the year hot, using their bench. As soon as they increased starters minutes the team sucked! Lame had a great statistical year, while his teammates stagnated. Then they decided to try and get him the league scoring title, as soon as they realized he couldn’t get it they shut him down. Then they started playing good again only to shut more down and bring in the g-league “to tank”
Trade Lillard, Simons, Nurkic.
Time for Portland to put down the pipe and blow up the roster. They don’t have the resources to get Lillard the kind of guys he wants or needs for a championship run. If they keep Lillard and trade away the #3 plus Nurkic plus their young players that are good (Sharpe and Simons), the roster will look like Dame + one more star and a bunch of bench guys… with few young guys to develop.
They’ll get farther in the playoffs, and faster, by trading Lillard for some decent second-tier players and some draft picks, keeping Sharpe and Simons, drafting Henderson, maybe doing a sign-and-trade with Grant for more picks, maybe getting a pick for Nurkic… they’d be in the lottery for the next couple years anyway, and if they stockpile picks it can work well for trading up in future drafts.
Otherwise, keep Lillard, with the resulting scenario being the Blazers get to the playoffs for a few years, make early exits, and then go back to being a lottery team anyway when Lillard is used up.
DeRozan and a second for Anferee Simons
Keep the pick and take Brandon Miller
Then resign Grant
Dame DeMare Miller Grant Nurkic
I don’t dislike the proposition…
I don’t know if I could send another top young prospect to be under-developed by the Chicago franchise?
Simons could still be gold, or a bust