Like his ESPN colleague Jonathan Givony, Brian Windhorst has been hearing that the Trail Blazers haven’t been enamored with the trade offers they’ve been getting for the No. 3 pick in this Thursday’s draft. Appearing on ESPN’s Get Up on Tuesday (YouTube link), Windhorst discussed the situation in Portland and how it could affect star guard Damian Lillard.
“In discussions with teams in the last couple of days, the Blazers have started to maybe indicate that they won’t trade the No. 3 pick and that they may end up deciding to draft a player there, whether it be Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller, because they aren’t necessarily in love with the options they’re getting offer for No. 3,” Windhorst said.
As Windhorst notes, Lillard has repeatedly expressed his loyalty to the Trail Blazers, but he has also spoken in recent months about not wanting to be part of a rebuild in Portland and his hope that the team can add impact veterans.
“I checked in on the Lillard side of things about whether or not there’d been a change of heart there and I was told unequivocally, ‘No,'” Windhorst said. “Dame does not want a youth movement. He wants to play with veterans. He wants the team to upgrade fast and immediately with veteran players that can help him now.”
There are other ways besides trading the No. 3 pick for the Blazers to add veteran talent this summer, Windhorst acknowledges, so if Portland keeps and uses its lottery pick on Thursday, that doesn’t necessarily mean Lillard will immediately make a trade request.
Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports makes this point too, writing in his latest story that the Blazers “view this entire offseason as their canvas” to upgrade their roster around Lillard and don’t necessarily feel it has to happen entirely during the draft. For now, it still appears that Dame’s preference is to remain in Portland and that the club hasn’t shown any willingness to discuss trading Lillard, says Fischer.
Here’s more on the Blazers:
- Portland is preparing what the front office considers a “compelling” offer for Heat big man Bam Adebayo, a source tells Fischer. While that may be true, it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which Miami would accept such a deal, given that the Heat view Adebayo as a long-term cornerstone and want to acquire Lillard themselves rather than help the Blazers keep him. For what it’s worth, Fischer suggests that any Portland offer for Adebayo would almost certainly have to include Shaedon Sharpe in addition to the No. 3 pick and Anfernee Simons to even get Miami to think about it.
- While Adebayo may not be attainable, he’s the sort of “premium” player the Trail Blazers are targeting in talks involving their lottery pick, Fischer writes, naming Clippers forward Paul George as another example of a player the team would like to land.
- League sources tell Fischer that the Blazers don’t “truly covet” either of the Raptors forwards they’ve been linked to (Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby) in a deal for the No. 3 selection. Bulls guard Zach LaVine and Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns also aren’t considered legitimate targets, Fischer adds.
- The Blazers and Pelicans have discussed Zion Williamson, per Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, but New Orleans hasn’t made a formal offer involving Williamson and may want more than just the No. 3 pick for him, per Fischer.
According to reports the star player wants to trade #3 pick. Portland is saying no good offers, of course not, everyone knows the star player wants u to trade it.
Nah, the market has changed this year from last year.
This draft has mostly young development, projects, and Wembanyama… Is the reason I think teams aren’t poneying-up for #2, and #3
Not a lot of NBA-ready depth, or obvious future superstars.
As it is, there’s also a lot of contention around the best prospects aside from VW. Scoot is getting knocked because of his outside shot and the way some people believe the Ignite are lesser competition than the college ranks, while Miller has had poor showcases and has the whole thing with the gun he loaned out hanging over him. And outside of them, the rest of the class is viewed as a sort of melting pot with variable ceilings. I could easily see teams undervaluing even the #3 pick.
So what u are saying is a bunch of the draft picks are work in process. Tell me more please
Moreso than usual for a draft, Morgs.
People actually think the opposite about ignite… They are a relativly mediocre team that doesnt run good offense or build great rosters playing against 30 year olds with NBA experience as opposed to 19 year old college freshman…
Bam Adebayo, Paul George?
Miami is not letting Bam go, and the days of Paul George fetching 1st round draft picks in a trade are over.
Lillard for George??? Sounds stupid, and I hope the journalist gets flak for even suggesting such a stupid trade with no benefit for either team
It doesn’t say Lillard for PG.
It doesn’t say either way, it says he’s a premium player like Bam Adebayo they would like to add. (Which is not true, open ended, leaving imagination of the reader and blazer assets to fill in the blanks)
What would portland trade for a $40 million player realistically? Lillard is all I come up with…
There are no contracted Blazers, or Clippers I would like to see swap places, and its unlikely to happen, and why this journalist sux.
Nor do I consider Paul George a premium player.
A premium paid player, yes.
It doesn’t say Lillard for PG lol
Do you know how to read? Maybe don’t make assumptions that make you look dumb as hell
And then?
They won’t contend for anything as long as they have Billups as head coach.
Miami is not trading Bam. Is Portland’s FO paying attention?
“A source tells Fischer”
I assumed it was 100% media-candy, and hyperbole to fill the morning word count
Everyone is available.
#1 pick on Thursday is certainly not available…
Jake Fischer reporting rumors means absolutely nothing. His job is to write about every single thing he hears from anywhere. Just calls it ‘sources’.
I bet if you tweet some nonsense rumor you make up within 3 days Fischer will write about it.
Thanks for the sane and logical comment
The Blazers really should just blow it up. Trade Lillard for the best possible package they can, see if they can S&T Grant, flip Nurkic and maybe Simons, and just try to rebuild around Sharpe and their #3 pick.
Absolutely. They don’t have the assets for bringing in enough of the kind of guys Lillard wants. They can try, but what they could put together might only be enough to get them back to the playoffs and an early exit. Blow it up.
I agree. But since I’m not a Blazers fan, their stupidity is entertaining.
They should do it but they won’t. Should have done it a year ago!
They’re not likely to land a star with the #3, but Porzingis and Kuzma are possibilities. Some cash matching players may be required as well as a future pick back from the Wizards especially if it’s just KP.
I don’t see a way for it to work financially, so it’s not likely, anyway.
Assuming Kuzma gets $25M (which is a common high-end projection for him), and Porzingis picks up his option for $36M, the Blazers would have to trade Simons, Nurkic, Nassir Little, Shaedon Sharpe, Kevin Knox and Keon Johnson to match salary. So it’s not *impossible*, but it would gut the roster to attempt it.
However, Porzingis for Simons and Nurkic is possible theoretically, but I don’t think the Wizards would be interested unless they could find a third team to offload the contract of Nurkic on. Simons *may* be of interest, but I get the sense they’re trying to really blow things up.
I like the Heat idea of trading Herro and Lowry for Lillard.
I’m sure the Heat like it too. The Blazers, not so much. The #3 and Simons, maybe, if the Heat send a pick back.
Herro and Lowry plus three firsts for Lillard and Nassir Little is the chatter I’ve been hearing. Sometimes without Little, sometimes with one of Miami’s low-cost guys going to Portland, but that’s the general shape.
Nobody is going help Portland move that #3 pick. Everyone wants to see Dame traded. There’s not a single franchise out there that is going to do PDX a favor. Why would they, there’s no reason at all to help them, as Dame will likely request a trade right after the draft if they don’t move the pick
Lillard OR
Simons, Sharpe, and #3?
And Lillard is the holding up the market?
You need to stop commenting until you develop insight, or even common sense.
Obviously embarrassing yourself isn’t a problem
POR can’t rationally base a decision of whether to rebuild or retool around DL on what offers they get for #3 or DL or anyone else. I doubt they’re really doing that. More likely putting on a dog and pony show for DL’s benefit. Hopefully, anyway, for POR’s sake. Putting out feelers for other teams’ foundation pieces is feeble under any circumstances, but with an asset like the #3 pick it can only be disingenuous or a sign of incompetence.
If they do things right, I think they could be closer to a title in 3-4 years without Lillard than they might if they keep him.
probably a sign of the latter, this is the blazers after all.
Would Siakam, Achiuwa, Flynn for #3, Simmons, Watford and Keon Johnson work? Would love to get Sharpe in a deal back but the money won’t work. Unless you switch out Siakam for OG?
I’m not sure what the Blazers are doing then. If you don’t want to move the pick for the raptors forwards then who do you want? Zion? Guy is an obvious injury risk and doubt he wants to be in Portland anyway.
If you’re not enamored than accept it and trade Dame and start a rebuild. This decision should have been made a week ago. Post draft they’ll have much less leverage.
Inept
Par for the course for them in recent years. Incompetence from top to bottom.
If someone overwhelms them with a lopsided trade, they deal #3. Otherwise I see them taking Scoot or Miller. If someone leapfrog them to take Scoot, that’s the best case scenario if they keep the pick.
Then if they do keep that pick.. I’d say it’s more likely they rebuild if they end up with Scoot. Otherwise why take him, hell sit behind Dame.
Moving an entire team in 1 offseason would be difficult but moving Dame would be the first domino. And you do that before FA starts. Bc you have a decision to make on Grant.
Itll be a big undertaking to move Dame, Grant, Nurkic, and Simon’s in one offseason.
Portlandia just needs to nutt up and tell Dame it’s time to go elsewhere…this is a business! Fact is, they’re in a golden opportunity to rebuild WITH this #3 pick(plus Sharpe etc) and they’ve had solid rosters around Dame in his past/prime days(20’s) and didn’t win nothing! So, to expect they can all of a sudden put together the magic roster now is ludicrous! Let the bidding war begin and take the best offer and be good again in 3 years instead!
Bam isn’t going anywhere. He is the Zo. He is the UD. He is the Dwyane Wade. He carries the culture now
Trading Simons and adding a 3 and D wing shooter at the 2/3 should be their top priority, as well as probably a floor spacer at the 5. Dont trade Lillard, Sharpe, or the.pick
I think Herro and Duncan plus picks is a decent offer for Dame. Heat need him NOW.
And I like them both, but if we’re talking win a title in 2024, they gotta go for Dame.
Bam is going nowhere. Imo he’s more valuable than Jimmy.
Dame is excellent, but I’m not giving both Herro and Duncan. If they want Herro, they’re getting Lowry along with that trade.
I wouldnt trade for Dame, but something like Lowry, Herro, Oladipo/Jovic, and 1 1st and 1 2nd for Lillard, Nurkic, Watford or
Lowry and Herro and the picks for Lillard and Nassir Little
If I’m portland though, I’m trying to move Simons. Maybe Orlando, something like Gary Harris, Bol Bol, Cole Anthony, Orlando 2024 1st, Denver 2024 2nd, Memphis/Boston 2025 2nd, and Milwaukee 2026 2nd
Somewhere like Detroit could also make some sense for him, but I dont know how much better Portland could do than something like that where they get salary relief off his bad deal, plus the draft capital
Your talking Dame a top 15 player for one at like 80(Herro) and top 200ish who was benched most of the year on a big money deal DR…
Both of them plus all the picks MIA can trade dont get you Dame when he doesnt have a NT clause and you have to bid against the Knicks/Nets draft assets.
Mia has 24 which is a bad draft supposedly so low value, cant trade 25 or 26 because they owe it to OKC with protections that guarantee that it goes in 26. So you can at best send them 24/27/29 with a 28/30 swap. You do that and your pretty out of assets and its still way below what OKC/NYK/NOP/Nets cant offer.
They can easily open the pick with the protections being removed. OKC would likely oblige for very little
Portland is going to Washington this thing up and end up with a handful of nothing cause they waited 1-2 years too long to make a decision
LOL @ Blazers thinking that the Heat will trade Bam to them.
Yeah, it sounds logical for the Heat, who have been in 2 of the last 4 Finals, are definitely going to go with moves to send themselves backwards by trading Bam to the Blazers. They are actually in the business of making the Blazers better instead of making themselves better.
That whole part of the article sounds like a blind homer Blazers fan pipe dream that they got from NBA 2K or Live, and put it together with that ole NBA Trade Machine.
Why would Blazers go all in on Zion. He’s not even in shape as we speak. Now Bam is worth getting excited about. But why would Heat move him …..
Imo they should draft Scoot. He is the real deal. They can move the 23rd pick and Simons for a PF. Imo Siakam is the one they should target. Raptors would love to have Sharpe.
Forget talking about Bam, completely unrealistic.
Would be smart to trade Dame for Herro, salary match and a bunch of picks, and MOVE FORWARD. Not sure what to do with the #3 pick. Hornets will probably take Scoot (LaMelo can play the 3). Blazers could shop the pick to move down a bit for a pick swap and a player. For? Your guess is as good as mine. And no, the W’s are not gonna offer TWO young players so forget that. Problem for the Blazers is probably that if Scoot goes 2, their pick is not viewed as SUPER valuable.
Heat don’t have a bunch of picks …..
I doubt after Beal trade. That Dame will get a haul. He stays imo
Heat have potentially 4 picks to trade this offseason with very little they would need to do to free that extra 1 up
No team has EVER traded their superstar and won the championship in the next 7 years with the return. This is a fools errand I can not understand why teams keep doing it. Keep Dame, draft a stud at 3 or move up to 2 if you need, and grab some other vets. Play to win now!
Yeah, except maybe the Warriors but I admit that “their superstar” would have had to be considered Curry, even if many people thought Durant was the best player in the NBA then. Forced to trade KD, the W’s did well to get DLo in return, and then flip him for Wiggins and Kuminga, and Wiggins turned out to be their second best player in their 2022 playoff run.
@sano Finally, someone states the obvious.