The Portland Trail Blazers seemingly are nearing a crossroads with Damian Lillard — their high-profile point guard who long has been the subject of trade speculation — and one can’t help but wonder whether the Boston Celtics should swing a blockbuster for the six-time NBA All-Star.
ESPN this week explored five trade scenarios involving Lillard, with Boston floated as one potential destination should Portland ultimately decide to deal the 31-year-old.
Here is ESPN’s hypothetical trade, which includes multiple young players and first-round draft picks:
Blazers receive:
Juancho Hernangomez
Al Horford
Aaron Nesmith
Payton Pritchard
Dennis Schroder
2022 first-round pick
2024 first-round pick
2026 first-round pick (top-10 protected 2026, top-4 protected 2027, unprotected 2028)
2028 first-round pick (top-4 protected 2028 if previous pick conveys in 2026; converts to 2028 second-round pick if not conveyed)
Celtics receive:
Damian Lillard
CJ Elleby
Ben McLemore
Tony Snell
Cody Zeller
This would be a league-altering trade, kickstarting Portland’s rebuild while possibly giving Boston the shot in the arm it desperately needs. The Celtics have been inconsistent to begin the 2021-22 campaign — a reality that actually dates back to last season — but adding a player of Lillard’s caliber could shift the balance of power in the Eastern Conference.
The biggest selling point from Boston’s perspective, obviously, is the Celtics aren’t giving up either Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown in the hypothetical trade. Including either player — especially Tatum — probably would be a non-starter for the Celtics, anyway. Brown just turned 25 in October, while Tatum will turn 24 in March. They’re just now entering their respective primes.
Of course, there’s risk involved with trading away four first-round picks. After all, what if the move backfires and the Celtics are forced to rebuild themselves? But standing pat might be even riskier at this point. Boston, as constructed, doesn’t look like a legitimate contender. And being stuck in NBA purgatory, as a fringe playoff team, probably is the worst spot to be in as a franchise.
Why would Portland make this trade? Here’s what ESPN’s Kevin Pelton wrote:
From Portland’s standpoint, this deal makes the most sense as the start of a full-scale rebuild. Although the Blazers get a pair of 2020 first-round picks in Nesmith and Pritchard, the latter returning to his hometown after scoring 19 points in 18 minutes in Saturday’s blowout win in Portland, the bulk of the value of this trade is in up to four first-round picks over the next seven years. At least one of those would come beyond the scope of Lillard’s current contract.
Additionally, the Blazers would create huge cap flexibility to use in future moves. Horford’s $26.5 million salary for 2022-23 is guaranteed for just $14.5 million, while Hernangomez’s $7.5 million salary is fully non-guaranteed and Schroder’s contract expires.
The Blazers have a decision to make: Stick with Dame or start fresh with a full reboot in wake of firing president of basketball operations Neil Olshey? Lillard is a unique talent, who would net Portland a monster haul on the trade market, but parting ways with a franchise cornerstone isn’t easy.
Either way, the Celtics probably should get their ducks in a row, on the off chance they’re able to assemble a package that satisfies the Blazers’ demands, without surrendering Tatum or Brown.
