The Los Angeles Lakers are in a pretty good spot in the first round of the playoffs, as they are leading the Memphis Grizzlies 1-0 despite being the 7th seed in the regular season. Thankfully, Anthony Davis was not hurt in Game 1, and LeBron James was also fortunate to have Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves perform at their highest levels. Many analysts are coming out and giving the Lakers props for the victory and assuming they will win the series. Even if they win the series, the likelihood of defeating other teams, such as the Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics, or Milwaukee Bucks, to win it all is very slim.
In other words, the Lakers will need strong reinforcements next season to actually win a title with an aging LeBron James and injury-prone Anthony Davis. The Lakers need a third superstar next season because a soon-to-be 39-year-old LeBron James with an oft-injured Anthony Davis won’t be enough to get it done next season, even if the team runs it back with the likes of D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Rui Hachimura playing major roles. There is one player who fits perfectly with the superstar Lakers duo and his name is Damian Lillard.
Lillard and the Trail Blazers somehow missed the play-in tournament and it might be time for the superstar point guard to find a new team. After all, he has yet to make an NBA Finals despite being a top-2-point guard in the world over the past few seasons, at least. The fact that Dame has made it clear that he is fed up with losing and is unwilling to be part of a rebuild is a major sign that NBA fans might finally get what they want and see the superstar point guard on a new team.
Trade Package: D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, 2029 First-Round Pick for Damian Lillard
This trade package clearly creates a blockbuster deal since D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura are all effective role players alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Losing the 2029 first-round pick has also been something Los Angeles has not wanted to do, but for a player of Dame’s level, it must be lost. Here is why this blockbuster deal works for both sides, especially LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers Could Become Favorites Next Season
What a move it would be for the Los Angeles Lakers to acquire 7-time All-Star, 2023 3-Point Contest winner, and All-NBA 75th Anniversary Team member Damian Lillard. The sharpshooting star of the Portland Trail Blazers is one of the best scorers in the NBA, who posted 32.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 7.3 APG on 46.3% FG, 37.1% 3-PT FG, and 91.4% FT. Those are simply superstar numbers from the best point guard in the game this season, and he would form the best Big Three with the Lakers by far.
Lillard could be done with Portland because it is the franchise’s time to completely rebuild, and they might not be willing to win right now. He is too talented to settle for missing the play-in tournament, especially when his contemporaries are joining superteams and contending, including the likes of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden, among others. Lillard deserves a big market like Los Angeles, and teaming up with James and Davis makes them the favorites in the Western Conference while Portland pulls the plug for a very solid rebuild.
The Lakers are his best option because they need him. LeBron will be 39 next year, meaning he needs superstar help to continue to compete. Anthony Davis is in his prime, but he is injury prone, so Lillard can come in and take over the offense.
The only way for the Lakers to acquire Lillard is to re-sign D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves and engage in a sign-and-trade along with Rui Hachimura and the 2029 first-round pick. Losing three players of this magnitude along with a first-rounder, isn’t ideal, but it must be done.
The value of Russell, Reaves, and Hachimura will remain sky-high after their big performance in Game 1 of the playoffs, and even if the Lakers lose, they will be wanted for their elite services. Portland is a rebuilding team with a chance for a No. 1 – No. 4 first-round pick, so getting back young players for the future will be key.
With Lillard on board, the new starting lineup would be Lillard joining Malik Beasley in the backcourt, with Vanderbilt, LeBron, and Davis completing the starting five to challenge for the NBA Finals immediately next year. At the same time, Los Angeles has an excellent salary cap situation which means the Purple and Gold can actually continue to improve the team with their Big Three intact.
Remember, Damian Lillard is already a Hall of Fame talent and is one of the greatest Portland Trail Blazers stars ever. One of the purest scorers in the NBA over the past few years, with very few players compared to Lillard in NBA history.
The Lakers will have enough firepower to challenge the Milwaukee Bucks, who have three All-Stars (Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday), the Boston Celtics (Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown), and the Phoenix Suns (Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Devin Booker) among other title-contenders.
The Trail Blazers Won’t Keep Lillard Forever With The Player Unnerved
The Portland Trail Blazers have done very well with Damian Lillard on the team in terms of remaining relevant and even making the Western Conference Finals in the 2018-19 season, but they won’t be able to hold onto him forever. The Trail Blazers are a solid team, but they are not a big market, meaning top players won’t consider Portland as their destination in free agency.
Furthermore, the franchise has not been able to surround Damian Lillard with appropriate talent, with only CJ McCollum coming to mind as an All-Star-caliber player in his prime, even if he never even made an All-Star Team. The team had many holes this season as they ranked 18th in offensive rating and 27th in defensive rating.
Portland struggled on defense and will continue to struggle since Anfernee Simons is not a stopper, Jerami Grant has become more of an offensive player in recent seasons, and Jusuf Nurkic is slow-footed and limited in terms of mobility. Lillard is nowhere near a defensive star as well, and he must be surrounded by elite defenders to truly have an impact in terms of title contention.
As a result, Portland will not be able to get over the hump in the West over the Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Golden State Warriors.
At some point, Damian Lillard will request a trade, but Portland should be ahead of the game. They should acquire the most valuable Lakers players outside of James and Davis to build their team for the future. Russell, Reaves, and Hachimura are long-term pieces, while Simons could continue to be a franchise cornerstone for them.
Portland will not win an NBA championship, so it is time to stop settling for mediocrity and start building a better team. Damian Lillard holds all the cards in Portland because his play dictates the direction of the franchise. He is too talented to settle for first and second-round exits, especially when his contemporaries are joining superteams and contending.
Lillard deserves a big market like Los Angeles, and teaming up with James and Davis makes them the favorites in the Western Conference while Portland pulls the plug for a very solid rebuild.
The Lakers Need Lillard… And Lillard Needs A Chance To Compete
Damian Lillard is already a Hall of Fame talent, even if he doesn’t have an MVP or an NBA Finals appearance to his name. The man is one of the greatest Portland Trail Blazers stars ever and is one of the purest scorers in the NBA over the past few years. In terms of shot-making and offensive explosiveness, very few players compare to Lillard in NBA history.
Having seven All-Star Teams and six All-NBA Teams are solid achievements for a superstar point guard, especially if he is known for coming up big in all the biggest games. After all, his clutch shotmaking has changed both the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets franchises on two separate occasions. But a player of Lillard’s caliber needs more than that, he needs an NBA Finals appearance and an NBA title which he won’t achieve in Portland.
The Lakers are his best option because they need him. LeBron will be 39 next year and approaching 40 years old quite incredibly, meaning he needs superstar help to continue to compete. Anthony Davis is in his prime, but he is injury prone, so Lillard can come in and take over the offense.
Perhaps most importantly, the Lakers have a chance to go after more star players. The salary cap in the 2023-24 NBA season is increasing with both James and Davis having player options in the summer of 2024, meaning the stars can come back on slightly more team-friendly deals to allow the Lakers to sign Jaylen Brown, Klay Thompson, Dejounte Murray, or DeMar DeRozan among others. LeBron will be 40 years old, and he could accept less money along with Davis to bring in another star.
The Lakers’ future will also be in good hands because Lillard and Davis will be cornerstones even when James is 40 years old and probably on his way to retirement following the 2024 or 2025 season. Lillard is 32 years old, and Davis is 30 years old, meaning they have 4-5 more seasons as star players to lead the Lakers going forward.
The Lakers, with Lillard, make the NBA Finals over the next few years and as long as LeBron keeps healthy, the superstar point guard has a chance to retire a multiple-time NBA champion in Purple and Gold. At the same time, Los Angeles gets a chance to quickly rebuild for the future when The King retires, meaning a move for Damian Lillard fixes the present and future.
Portland also gets three youngsters to rebuild, as Russell is 27 years old, Reaves is 24, and Hachimura is only 25. The 2029 first-round pick can also be of use as the Trail Blazers refocus and probably get rid of “win-now” players such as Jerami Grant and Jusuf Nurkic. The Trail Blazers will want to rebuild, and Lillard wants to win now, so shipping him to a contender does the loyal player well while also benefiting Portland as a franchise.
Source: fadeawayworld
