Portland Trail Blazers Receive: G/F Eric Gordon, F/C Christian Wood, F Jae’Sean Tate, G/F Lu Dort, 2022 First-Round Pick (17th Pick – HOU)
Oklahoma City Thunder Receive: G Eric Bledsoe, 2022 First-Round Pick (7th Pick – POR), 2023 First-Round Pick (MIL), 2024 First-Round Pick (HOU), 2025 First-Round Pick (HOU), 2027 First-Round Pick (HOU)
Houston Rockets Receive: G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
By involving the Portland Trail Blazers, both the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets minimize some of the risk involved in the previous deal.
The Rockets get to keep their own 2023 first-rounder. The Thunder will live with that since they’re receiving the seventh pick in the upcoming draft from the Trail Blazers.
Meanwhile, that seventh pick is significant for the Thunder. Due to Portland’s inclusion, they can now be sure that, even if the Rockets are a winning team for a long time following the acquisition of Gilgeous-Alexander, they at least got one premium pick for their star guard.
To some, that pick may seem a little too premium in exchange for the poo-poo platter of solid veterans the Blazers are receiving here.
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Still, it seems that the Blazers are intent on retooling around Lillard and competing again in 2022-23. If this is the best win-now package they’re offered for their pick, they’re likely to accept it. Both the Thunder and the Rockets may be pleased to see that hypothetical become a reality.
