New York Knicks Receive: G Damian Lillard, G/F Garrett Temple, G/F Tony Snell
Portland Trail Blazers Receive: G/F R.J. Barrett, F Obi Toppin, G Kemba Walker, G/F Evan Fournier, CHA 2022 1st Round Pick (Top-18 Protected, via NYK), NYK 2022 1st Round Pick (Lottery-Protected, 2023 Unprotected if not conveyed in 2022), NOP 2022 2nd Round Pick, NYK 2024 1st Round Pick (Swap, More Favorable to POR), NYK 2026 1st Round Pick (Swap, More Favorable to POR)
New Orleans Pelicans Receive: F Robert Covington
Whether it is New York or any other team around the league, to have a shot at landing Damian Lillard, they are going to have to offer up as many of their top assets as possible. It would take a lot for the New York Knicks to possibly land Lillard, but it could pay off big-time for them.
While he has not necessarily played his best basketball this season, Damian Lillard is still a Top-5 point guard in this league and still one of the top scorers in the entire league. Since the start of the 2016-17 season, Lillard has averaged 27.3 points per game and has shot 37.5% from three-point range.
His ability to score is unlike pretty much any other guard in this league and Dame is also a very willing passer. For his career, Damian Lillard has recorded an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.4 and has averaged about 6.7 assists per game.
The Knicks need someone who can take a lot of pressure off of Julius Randle and while other trade targets like Myles Turner and Jerami Grant could definitely help this team fix their underachieving defense while also aiding on offense, they are just simply not the same level of talents that Damian Lillard is.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Sixers, Rival Teams ‘Optimistic’ Lillard Could Request Trade
Julius Randle was an All-Star last season and had a great season, but this is starting to look like a “one-hit wonder”. He can absolutely still be a high-level talent and be an All-Star type talent again, but Randle is not a No. 1 guy and leader that can take the Knicks deep into the playoffs, hence why they need Lillard now more than ever.
Giving up R.J. Barrett, Obi Toppin, Kemba Walker, Evan Fournier and draft compensation is a huge chunk of assets, almost more than the New Orleans Pelicans got in exchange for Anthony Davis back in 2019 from the Lakers, but this is what it is going to take for Portland to think about trading Lillard.
There have been some discussions around the league about the idea of the Trail Blazers blowing things up and rebuilding, but the organization themselves have refuted this claim. They want to win now and are going to be searching for ways to win now ahead of the trade deadline, which is why getting rid of Lillard is not a feasible solution for them.
However, this is certainly enough value for them to consider the idea of doing so. All four players that they get in this trade could play now and both Barrett and Toppin give the Blazers two young talents to build around McCollum and Powell for the future.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Sixers, Rival Teams ‘Optimistic’ Lillard Could Request Trade
Portland would also have no problem continuing to add talent to their roster through the years because they would have a little bit extra cap space and they would have plenty of draft assets to utilize, something they do not currently have now.
So where do the New Orleans Pelicans fit into this trade? With Portland acquiring four different players and only sending out two to the New York Knicks, they would still need to move a player or two, as well as cut a fairly decent-sized contract.
Robert Covington is in the final year of his contract and is a very likely player to be moved since he is replaceable in Portland, which is why the Pelicans could be interested in him. He is a stretch frontcourt piece that can defend at a fairly high level and give the New Orleans Pelicans some depth should Zion Williamson continue to sit out because of injuries.
