1. Damian Lillard To New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans have some damage control to do. There are already reports floating around that Zion Williamson’s family does not want him in New Orleans any longer. After trading away Anthony Davis just two years ago and dealing with the Chris Paul saga previously, the Pelicans have to get on the same page with Williamson.
They have shaken up their roster a little bit this offseason. Lonzo Ball, Eric Bledsoe and Steven Adams are no longer with the team. Taking their place are Devonte’ Graham and Jonas Valanciunas. They also addressed two weaknesses, shooting and defense, in the draft by selecting Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones.
But, there are likely no stars in those acquisitions. To get Williamson to commit to the franchise long-term, David Griffin has to find a star to pair with him that will push them into the playoff picture. One star that would accomplish that is Damian Lillard.
Pairing the All-NBA star point guard with Williamson would likely ease some of the concerns his family has. They would certainly become a playoff threat right away and could build toward true contender status if they could fill out the roster around those two superstars.
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New Orleans has the draft capital to make a trade of that magnitude, as they did well when trading away Davis and Jrue Holiday in recent years. Former All-Star Brandon Ingram could also be used as a centerpiece going back to Portland.
