The biggest domino of the National Basketball Association (NBA) offseason fell on Wednesday, Sept. 27 when the Portland Trail Blazers dealt superstar point guard Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks. It was a three-team deal that also included the Phoenix Suns.
In the three-team deal, the Bucks got Lillard, and the Trail Blazers received veteran guard Jrue Holiday, center Deandre Ayton, rookie small forward Toumani Camara, swap rights to Milwaukee’s 2028 and 2030 first-round picks as well as their unprotected 2029 first-rounder. The Suns jumped into this deal, netting a package of starting center Jusuf Nurkic, knockdown three-point shooter guard Grayson Allen and a couple of younger bench pieces in guard Keon Johnson and forward Nassir Little.
However, Portland was not done there, as they would send Holiday to the Boston Celtics in a corresponding move on Sunday, Oct. 1. On top of the package they received for Lillard, Portland added combo guard Malcolm Brogdon, defensive-minded center Robert Williams III, a 2024 unprotected first-round pick via the Golden State Warriors and Boston’s 2029 unprotected first-round pick.
With these deals, the Trail Blazers officially kick off their rebuild. A trio of young players in rookie point guard Scoot Henderson, athletic forward Shaedon Sharpe and bona fide scoring threat guard Anfernee Simons look to lead this team into the future. Adding Ayton and Williams should give this team some balance as they build a stronger frontcourt. Throw in veteran power forward Jerami Grant and there’s some good depth on this roster. If the young guys develop well throughout this season, the Trail Blazers could be in store for a very exciting 2023-24 season.
In the deal, the future draft picks received are also intriguing. While only one of the picks received is for this upcoming draft—Golden State’s 2024 first-rounder—Portland’s management did a good job focusing on the future far down the road. Picks coming from Boston and Milwaukee likely won’t be high picks in the next two to three years; however, picks for the 2028 and 2029 seasons have the chance to be high picks, as no one knows how competitive those teams will be that far into the future.
It worked out for Boston way back in 2013 when they traded a package that included star forwards Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to the Brooklyn Nets for a multitude of draft picks. A haul that included draft picks deep into the future like Brooklyn’s 2016 and 2017 top selections allowed Boston to draft franchise cornerstones guard Jaylen Brown and forward Jayson Tatum. In this deal, Portland hopes to strike the same type of luck, looking to build a future dynasty.
Portland’s future is certainly strong, and we’ll see how they attack the rest of the offseason as the NBA’s preseason kicks off, but more moves could be on the horizon. NBA fans and media members aren’t sure how likely it is that the 30-year-old Brogdon will remain on the roster as the team shifts towards a rebuild. Even names like Grant have popped up in rumors as of late. We’ll have to wait and see what’s next for the Trail Blazers.
