Portland Trail Blazers Receive: G Kyrie Irving, 2023 First-Round Pick (PHI)

Brooklyn Nets Receive: G Damian Lillard

You must have seen this one coming, right?

Look. We know this trade probably won’t happen this summer. That doesn’t mean it’s indefensible.

The Portland Trail Blazers are a small market team. They’ve generally avoided overhauling their roster to rebuild, preferring to remain competitive. This trade (probably) allows them to do that.

We say probably because that’s as confident as one can be in Kyrie Irving. Frankly, there’s no telling what might keep him off a basketball court. That’s why the Blazers receive a first-round pick in spite of swapping out a slightly older, roughly comparable player.

In fact, the Blazers would need some reassurance that Irving is even willing to play for them before they pulled the trigger on this one.

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If he is, this deal could suit them. On the other hand, if they prefer a more future-focused package, the Nets could offer them something different.