Portland Trail Blazers Receive: F Gordon Hayward, F Grant Williams, F Aaron Nesmith, 2022 First-Round Pick (CHA), 2023 First-Round Pick (BOS), 2025 First-Round Pick (BOS), 2027 First-Round Pick (BOS)
Charlotte Hornets Receive: C Al Horford
Boston Celtics Receive: G Damian Lillard
Expanding the framework of this deal to include the Charlotte Hornets allows the Boston Celtics to make the Portland Trail Blazers a godfather offer.
Maybe Williams and three picks aren’t enough for Portland. If Williams, Nesmith, and four picks aren’t, they’re probably not trading him.
Nesmith hasn’t carved out as large a role as Williams on the contending Celtics, but he still shows promise. His 0.7 Defensive Box Plus/Minus (DBPM) from last season suggests that he could be a solid three-and-D wing if he can improve his three-point accuracy (31.8% on his career).
Meanwhile, the Hornets get their center. They’re also getting off of Hayward’s long-term money in the process. Horford may be a little old to fit their timeline, but he’s a good stopgap for this group. With him in the middle, they should have their most competitive season of the Ball era thus far.
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Breakups are never easy. Damian Lillard and the Blazers have a lot of history together. It’s likely that neither side wants a split. It’s possible that they’ll see that it’s what’s best for both parties. This deal allows Lillard a real chance at an NBA championship.
It allows the Blazers a chance to start over.
