Damian Lillard has been actively recruiting free agents to the Portland Trail Blazers, according to NBA insider Danny Marang of 1080 The Fan.
Lillard caused a huge stir when he said he would like to get traded to the Brooklyn Nets or Miami Heat if the Blazers decided to move him. The All-Star point guard hasn’t requested a trade from Portland, but there are rumors going around that the Blazers could hit the reset button this offseason and trade Lillard.
However, there are also rumors stating that the Blazers want to build around Lillard and get him more talent by trading the third overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and Anfernee Simons. According to John Hollinger of The Athletic, the Blazers could package Simons and the third pick to acquire an “elite small forward.”
“Note that I said ‘the team at No. 3’ because of widespread speculation the Trail Blazers, who currently own the pick, will seek to trade out of the third position rather than select another young player,” Hollinger wrote. “With Portland in ‘win it for Dame’ mode and the Blazers desperate for playable wings (even presuming they re-sign Jerami Grant), speculation is already widespread that a package of the third pick and Anfernee Simons might be used to snag an elite small forward.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Damian Lillard & Portland Trail Blazers Updates
Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer is also reporting that the Blazers could trade Simons and the third pick to get more win-now players around Lillard.
“My league sources say that Portland’s interest in building around Lillard is genuine,” O’Connor wrote. “The front office is exploring deals for the no. 3 pick, and it’s also open to moving Anfernee Simons. Jaylen Brown, Pascal Siakam, or Mikal Bridges would make sense as potential targets via trade, but it’s unclear what level of appetite the Blazers have for that kind of trade. Come draft night, they might just pick.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Damian Lillard & Portland Trail Blazers Updates
It’s going to be interesting to see what happens with Lillard and the Blazers this offseason.
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