Trail Blazers Could Make Trade To Pair Damian Lillard, OG Anunoby

Portland Trail Blazers, OG Anunoby, Damian Lillard, NBA Trade Rumors
NBA Analysis Network

The 2022-23 NBA season has been another difficult one for the Portland Trail Blazers. Despite making multiple moves in the offseason to rebuild the roster around Damian Lillard, the results on the court have remained the same.

Portland is currently 31-40 on the season with their playoff aspirations dissipating. They are 3.5 games behind the Los Angeles Lakers for 10th place, which is also the last in the NBA Play-In Tournament. The Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans are both ahead of the Trail Blazers as well.

A big reason for the team’s struggles is once again their inability to play defense. The Trail Blazers have a defensive rating of 118.1 this season, which ranks 27th in the NBA and is actually a step back from their disastrous 2021-22 campaign.

Offseason moves to bolster the defense just haven’t panned out. It takes more than just one player in Jerami Grant to turn things around as the team’s other headline-grabbing acquisition, Gary Payton II, played in only 15 games before being traded back to the Golden State Warriors.

If the team truly wants to build a contender around Lillard, it will take drastic changes this offseason. One suggested move would be to acquire forward OG Anunoby from the Toronto Raptors.

NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Portland Trail Blazers, Damian Lillard & OG Anunoby Updates

A potential trade offer would be Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa being traded to the Trail Blazers in exchange for Anfernee Simons and a 2025 first-round pick, which is top-4 protected. That deal would instantly transform Portland and help them turn things around immediately.

Anunoby is arguably the best defender in the NBA currently. He is third in the league in Defensive Estimated Plus/Minus and routinely holds opponents well under their shooting percentages. His performance as an isolation defender is also elite, as he holds opponents to the least points per play in those situations.

NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Portland Trail Blazers, Damian Lillard & OG Anunoby Updates

Achiuwa would also present a huge upgrade for the team’s frontcourt. He can play virtually every position on the court, at least defensively, and provide a positive impact. Lacking size, versatility and defenders, the Trail Blazers would address all of those needs by bringing in Achiuwa and Anunoby as a package.

Things would quickly get expensive for Portland, but the pieces would finally be in place around Lillard for the team to find real success. Pairing him with another undersized guard in Simons, which the franchise did for years with CJ McCollum, isn’t going to help them reach the levels they want to achieve.

Want the latest in NBA analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click Here.

Follow NBA Analysis Network on Twitter and Facebook

Former NBA Player Thinks Jalen Brunson Destined To Win

New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson has taken the NBA by storm since joining the team. There were a lot of naysayers who believed

Knicks’ Alec Burks Sets Ugly NBA History In Return To Team

One of the bigger trades made ahead of the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline was the New York Knicks acquiring Alec Burks and Bojan Bogdanovic from

Cavs’ Dean Wade Matches Kobe Bryant In Historic Performance

Every NBA team goes through a stretch of the season having to navigate injuries. The Cleveland Cavaliers did that earlier in the season when Darius