Portland Trail Blazers Receive: G Evan Fournier, G Derrick Rose, G/F RJ Barrett, 2023 First-Round Pick (NYK)
New York Knicks Receive: G Damian Lillard
If the Portland Trail Blazers are moving Damian Lillard to the New York Knicks, odds are, they’ll be seeking RJ Barrett in return.
The 21-year-old Canadian wing is the closest thing the Knicks have to a proven young player. He’s hinted at star potential over his time in New York, and the Blazers will want to see if he can capitalize on it.
Losing him will be a blow for the Knicks. Of course, they’re landing Damian Lillard. Next, they’ll have to upgrade the supporting roster around him and Julius Randle to build this team into a win-now contender.
If that means parting with more draft capital to land a third star-caliber player in a separate transaction, the team shouldn’t hesitate.
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On the other hand, the Knicks would surely prefer to keep Barrett in the process of acquiring Lillard. For all his potential, he’s already the type of win-now player they’ll need to surround Lillard and Randle with.
There may be a way to make that possible, but it will be costly.
