David Griffin is under pressure to build a winner around Zion Williamson right now, and the New Orleans Pelicans might have an opportunity to do it with a blockbuster trade for Damian Lillard.
There are rumblings that Lillard is suddenly unhappy with the direction the Trail Blazers are heading, including their hiring of new head coach Chauncey Billups.
Sources tell myself & @AdamNBorai: There is a growing rift between Portland Trail Blazers ownership, Damian Lillard, & the front office. Dame has been in touch with players on other teams this off-season & monitoring Portland's future before committing to anything. More to come.
— Farbod Esnaashari (@Farbod_E) June 27, 2021
That doesn’t mean they are going to trade Damian Lillard and to be honest, I really don’t think they will, as he is a franchise icon, one of the best players in the NBA and is worshipped in Portland.
But an unhappy star is not something you want either, so it may be time for the Blazers to move on, and if they do, the New Orleans Pelicans would be one of the few teams with the ammo to go get him.
Lillard still has four years left on his deal, so trading for him will not be cheap, and it is already rumored that Portland wants an All-Star caliber player and four first round picks in exchange. Like I said, it won’t be cheap, but here is a trade that might work.
New Orleans Pelicans: Trading for Damian Lillard
Phew! That is a blockbuster indeed.
In this trade, the Trail Blazers get their All-Star talent, a project point guard and four first round draft picks, including #10 in this draft.
The New Orleans Pelicans get a bonafide superstar to put with Zion and a guy who immediately puts them into contention in the Western Conference if they could make the right complementary moves.
But would either team actually do this?
New Orleans Pelicans: Trading Brandon Ingram for Damian Lillard
The Trail Blazers are not going to consider this move unless they are getting The Godfather offer, and this is it.
There aren’t many teams in the NBA that could offer more than this, so if the Trail Blazers wanted a soft rebuild, they could likely still be in contention for the playoffs and still have a ton of future draft capital to make additional trades or add talent via the draft.
They would clear some cap space, as Ingram makes less than Lillard, get a high-ceiling point guard prospect who lives to set up shooters and run with a young team that still had a few key veterans to balance the roster.
They’d get four first round picks from the New Orleans Pelicans, all unprotected, which is about as big a haul of players and picks as we’ve ever seen moved in the NBA.
It would be an all-in move for the New Orleans Pelicans while the Blazers would take a step back with an eye on the future and building around a young All-Star in Ingram.
New Orleans Pelicans trade rumors: Trading for Damian Lillard
This is precisely the reason that you hoard draft picks: to get a superstar.
While Ingram is very good and likely to improve even more, Lillard is one of the few players in the NBA who moves the needle for any franchise and would immediately make the Pelicans a contender in the West.
Lillard has never played with someone as good as Zion and they would be a perfect pairing, as you have to double team both of them and Lillard would create the space that Zion needs to operate.
The two would be unstoppable in the pick-and-roll and the New Orleans Pelicans could then re-sign Lonzo Ball to play point guard again.
The Pelicans might have to go into the tax to do it, but Lillard is one of the few guys who you would do that for as he would make the Pels a contender right away and keep them there for the foreseeable future.
He is signed for four more years, so you are getting the rest of his prime and trying to win titles in Zion’s rookie contract, which is smart move for the chances of keeping him long-term.
It would be risky but why not? Draft picks are not going to win you titles and eventually you have to put them on the table if you can get a superstar. If Damian Lillard is truly available, then go get him.