Charlotte Hornets Receive: C Steven Adams, 2025 First-Round Pick (MEM)
Portland Trail Blazers Receive: F Miles Bridges, 2023 First-Round Pick (MEM), (MEM), 2027 First-Round Pick (MEM), 2028 First-Round PIck (Swap – MEM)
Memphis Grizzlies Receive: G Damian Lillard
The Charlotte Hornets need a center. Do they need one badly enough to part with Miles Bridges?
Gut reactions may say no. A deeper dive says, at the very least, maybe. Bridges’ role with this squad is fairly similar to that of teammate P.J. Washington. Furthermore, Bridges is due to hit restricted free agency this summer. He won’t be cheap. Neither will LaMelo Ball or, if everything goes right, several other promising young players on this squad.
Meanwhile, Adams is on an expiring contract. Flipping Bridges for one of those and a first-round pick actually makes some sense. If Adams is a meaningful contributor to a postseason run, the Hornets can re-up him at a fraction of Bridges’ cost. If not, they save money and gain a first-rounder in the process.
Finally, this deal is more in-line with the Portland Trail Blazers’ usual Modus Operandi. They’re likely to opt against a long-term rebuild by landing a quality young player in exchange for Lillard.
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That is if they trade Lillard at all. In all likelihood, they probably won’t. Whether they live to regret that decision or not remains to be seen.
