The Portland Trail Blazers ended what is one of the most disappointing seasons in recent franchise history. Due to various factors, such as injuries and midseason trades, the Blazers ended outside of the playoffs for the first time in the last nine years. Clearly, the team is in need of an overhaul and the front office signaled they are not shying away from pulling off moves. This might be an interesting summer and the Blazers might look to pull off some trades. In that vein, let's look at some deals that might not be the first ones that come to mind.
Here are two unrealistic trades Blazers must try to make in 2022 NBA offseason.
Watch NBA Games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)
Unrealistic Blazers Trades in 2022 NBA Offseason
Blazers get LaMelo Ball, Gordon Hayward; Hornets get Damian Lillard
When it comes to unrealistic trades, this is about as unrealistic as it goes. The Blazers have steered away from trading Damian Lillard for a very long time and Lillard has spoken about wanting to remain in Portland for the length of his career. On the other hand, the Hornets are incredibly happy with LaMelo Ball, who just made his first All-Star game this past season. While it has not translated into much playoff success, the Hornets must be optimistic for the future with Ball. Still, this trade could be done and it makes sense for both teams involved. Here is how.
For the Blazers, getting LaMelo Ball guarantees a superstar past the Damian Lillard era. Of course, losing Lillard, probably the biggest legend of the entire franchise, would sting, but Ball is a guarantee that the team would be very strong going forward. Combined with Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, and other young pieces, Ball would be part of a great Trail Blazers future. In terms of Hayward, he is here just to match salaries, but he could be flipped further, possibly for a first-round pick, something a rebuilding team would enjoy. Even if they want to stay competitive right away, getting Hayward and Ball, with some other signings, could make the Blazers competitive, at least for the playoffs, right away.
For the Hornets, granted, this deal does not make tons of sense long-term. Lillard is set to make a ton of money over the next few years and he is over 30 years of age. However, getting a player this good, even if it means losing Ball, is just too good for a team like the Hornets to say no. The Hornets, similar to the Blazers, cannot rely on free agency to get huge players on their roster. Additionally, the Hornets would likely be an automatic playoff team with Lillard. With all due respect to Ball, he is still not on that level. Thus, getting Lillard would be almost a guarantee for a playoff spot in the East. Last, but not least, the Hornets would get rid of this Hayward deal in this trade, so that is an additional plus for them.
Blazers get Dejounte Murray; Spurs get Anfernee Simons (sign and trade) and two future first-round picks
This trade is conditional upon Simons signing a new deal with the Blazers. Since that is almost a guarantee at this point, through a sign-and-trade, the Blazers could get Dejounte Murray from the San Antonio Spurs, a player highly sought after in today's market. Murray made his first All-Star team but does not seem to fit the long-term plans of the Spurs, so the Blazers could use this chance to get him in. With all of this said, let's look at both sides and what they would be getting.
For the Blazers, it is fairly easy – getting Murray here is a premium. He is a great player and very young at that, as he will be 26 in December. Murray is also just coming off of his best year, as said above, making his first All-Star team. He would fit in perfectly next to Damian Lillard, as he is a defense-first, all-around guard and while he would have to sacrifice some scoring, it would be great for Murray to play next to Lillard. On top of all that, for the Blazers, Murray will only make around $33 million over the next two years, which is an amazing price for his quality. It will cost them Simons and first-round picks, but if a team wants to win, as the Blazers want to, first-rounders do not really play a large role.
For the Spurs, it is very hard to see what they could get for Murray. He is a great player, an All-Star, but he also has some injury issues and it is possible that this was a one-off season, so the Spurs might be looking to sell high. With this hypothetical Blazers offer, they would get a great young gun in Simons, who could play even better in San Antonio, with more chances to express himself offensively, and two future first-round picks. Of course, the Blazers could sweeten the deal some more, but even this package would be great for the rebuilding Spurs. They could use the picks for their immaculate talent to find late selections that work, or in further trades to acquire a great player to fulfill their roster needs.
Follow Us
Subscribe