Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard is currently one of the hottest commodities on the trade market. Lillard may have denied multiple reports about his plan to demand a trade from Portland, but that shouldn’t be a reason for the Trail Blazers to be complacent. As of now, the Trail Blazers are yet to show the "urgency" that Lillard wants to see from their front office.
While aspiring contenders made big acquisitions, the Trail Blazers only added Tony Snell, Cody Zeller, and Ben McLemore this summer.
Pelicans Could Try To Save Damian Lillard From Portland
If Trail Blazers general manager Neil Olshey no longer has any plan to further upgrade their roster, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Lillard soon decides to follow in the footsteps of other superstars and start finding his way out of Portland. One of the most intriguing landing spots for Lillard is the New Orleans Pelicans.
In July, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer revealed that the Pelicans were among the young teams that are closely monitoring Lillard’s situation with the Trail Blazers.
Latest Blockbuster Trade Idea That Would Send Damian Lillard To Pelicans
Though they are still in the middle of the rebuilding process, the Pelicans already need to make moves to speed up their timeline to keep the face of the franchise, Zion Williamson, happy in New Orleans. In a recent article, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, came up with a hypothetical trade idea that would enable the Pelicans to acquire Lillard from the Trail Blazers.
In the proposed trade scenario, the Pelicans would be sending a trade package that includes Brandon Ingram, Kira Lewis Jr., Jaxson Hayes, a 2023 first-round pick, and two 2024 first-round picks.
Damian Lillard, Zion Williamson Chase For First NBA Title Together In New Orleans
Trading a young player with huge superstar potential like Ingram would be a tough decision for the Pelicans, but it would be worth it if it means acquiring a player of Lillard’s caliber. Though it wouldn’t make them an instant favorite to capture the Larry O’Brien Trophy, pairing Williamson with Lillard would give the Pelicans a realistic chance of making a huge noise in the loaded Western Conference next season.
"Neither Lillard nor Williamson can be thrilled with the direction of their clubs, but maybe they’d find happiness together," Buckley wrote. "An offensive system built around Lillard-Williamson pick-and-rolls (and transition attacks) might be as prolific as it gets, and New Orleans would still have its newcomers plus a hopefully re-signed Josh Hart."
Damian Lillard’s On-Court Impact On Pelicans
Lillard would be a dream acquisition for the Pelicans. His potential arrival in New Orleans would help them improve their offensive efficiency that ranked 12th in the league last season, scoring 110.8 points per 100 possessions, per ESPN. He would give the Pelicans one of the league’s best clutch scorers, as well as an incredible playmaker and an elite three-point shooter.
Last season, the 31-year-old point guard averaged 28.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 7.5 assists while shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN.
