NBA
NBA insiders have said that Portland has been aggressive on the trade market ahead of the 2023 NBA Draft
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated16 Jun 2023
This offseason, the ongoing saga of Damian Lillard is going to continue as his future is undetermined yet. Portland currently owns the #3 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and they have a variety of options at hand. They could keep the pick and use whoever they draft to build alongside Lillard. On the other hand, the Blazers could trade the #3 pick and get win-now talent for Lillard. NBA insiders say that Portland has been aggressive on the trade market.
Portland has a number of options at hand and the franchise needs to decide what they want to do with their future. There’s no rush with the 2023 NBA Draft taking place next Thursday. The Trail Blazers could be patient and wait to see if teams start offering bigger trade packages closer to the draft.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, all signs point to the Blazers wanting to keep Damian Lillard this offseason.
Blazers ‘Trying Some Pretty Aggressive Moves’ On Trade Market https://t.co/dxmjkfpETL
— RealGM (@RealGM) June 16, 2023
All signs point to the Trail Blazers keeping Damian Lillard on the roster for next season
Brian Windhorst said he’s not sure how accurate his information is, but he knows the Blazers are being extremely aggressive. Additionally, NBA insider Marc Stein said the Blazers have a preferred trade package in mind if they were to strike a deal.
The Blazers are willing to trade Anfernee Simons and their #3 overall pick for a win-now talent. Damian Lillard has been vocal that he doesn’t want to be a part of another rebuild. He only wants to stay with Portland if they can acquire some talent to put around him for next season.
Anfernee Simons averaged (21.1) points per game last season on (.377) percent shooting from deep. By no means is that low production, but Portland is in the market for a more established star. The Blazers likely want a player that’s had postseason success in some way shape or form. It’s up to the front office to get the talent that Lillard wants to be a competitive team next season.
