Denver Nuggets Receive: G Damian Lillard

Portland Trail Blazers Receive: G Jamal Murray, F Zeke Nnaji, G Nah’Shon ‘Bones’ Hyland, 2027 First-Round Pick

This hypothetical trade cooked up by Zach Buckley at Bleacher Report would certainly constitute a blockbuster. The Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets would be shaking things up in a big way.

The Nuggets have been mentioned as a team that could make a big splash. They have the reigning MVP in Nikola Jokic and are on the cusp of being legitimate contenders. Acquiring All-NBA member Damian Lillard would accomplish that.

Lillard is as good as they come. In this scenario, the price for acquiring him isn’t very cheap, as the Nuggets are trading away Jamal Murray, Zeke Nnaji, Nah’Shon ‘Bones’ Hyland, and a future first-round pick.

Not having to part ways with Michael Porter Jr. makes this a much more palatable deal for the Nuggets. Murray is the centerpiece of the deal going back, giving Portland a still dynamic backcourt pairing with CJ McCollum.

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Nnaji is a solid young piece to add to the frontcourt in Portland, while Hylands was a first-round pick of the Nuggets in the 2021 NBA Draft out of VCU.

Including a player such as Murray with their last two first-round picks in Nnaji and Hyland, while only one future draft pick is included. Still, it is hard to imagine Portland not asking for multiple picks back in exchange for their franchise superstar.

How does this trade shake out for both teams? Let’s take a look, starting with the Nuggets.