3. Portland Trail Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers need to make some noise during the 2021-22 season or changes will need to be made. Damian Lillard has said all the right things when it comes to his commitment to the organization long-term, but if they do not start winning some games, his tune could change.

If Portland has to accept reality and trade Lillard at some point, one of their first calls should be to the New Orleans Pelicans. There aren’t many, if any, players that the Portland Trail Blazers can get in a return package as good as Brandon Ingram.

Ingram would provide the team with a new centerpiece to build around in the future. He has already made one All-Star game in his career and there could very well be more in the future with how consistent his performance has been.

Portland has struggled to get production from the wing and Ingram would definitely change that. He would provide the team with another go-to scoring option on the wing and help the team balance out the roster.

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Right now, with Lillard, C.J. McCollum, and Norman Powell all in the starting lineup, the Portland Trail Blazers are a little undersized. All three of them are 6’3” or shorter, so adding the 6’8” Ingram to the mix would allow them all to play backcourt minutes.

With a rebuild looking more and more likely in Portland, Brandon Ingram should be atop their list of trade targets to not only keep them competitive now but lead them into the future.