Portland Trail Blazers superstar point guard Damian Lillard has not asked for a trade, and the franchise has not said he is available either. However, after losing in the first round of the NBA Playoffs yet again, there could be some major changes coming to Portland when it comes to the roster after a coaching change was already made. It will take a lot to persuade the Trail Blazers to trade Lillard, the longtime face of the franchise, but if he asks for a trade they would likely grant his wish.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have spent the last few years waiting to pounce on a big superstar trade. The front office has been busy collecting picks, racking up a ton of them over the next seven years. Having that type of draft capital is massive for a team that is rebuilding. If they wanted, they could offer up a handful of draft picks and a player in an attempt to land Lillard.

This could be a deal that shifts the entire Western Conference, as the Trail Blazers would have a ton of draft picks at their disposal while also potentially remaining competitive unless they wanted to go into a full rebuild. Meanwhile, the Thunder would gain a superstar player and could be well on their way to becoming a playoff contender once again.

Here is the perfect trade the Thunder must offer the Blazers for Damian Lillard.

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The Houston Rockets invested heavily into Fred VanVleet during the 2023 offseason. Houston gave the point guard a three-year, $128 million deal in a move that was meant to turn the Rockets from a rebuilding team into a championship contending one. The signing did just that, as the Rockets finished the 2024-25 regular season as the two-seed in a stacked Western Conference. VanVleet was the veteran presence and 3-point shooter that the team desperately needed, and he still might have a role with the Rockets going forward. Houston has a team option on his contract for next year, and they very well may pick it up. The Wichita State product reportedly wants to stay in Houston, but the point guard would be set to make over $44 million next season under his current contract. The Rockets and their guard recently pushed back the deadline on Houston's decision with VanVleet, and although reports suggest that they are interested in writing up a new, long-term deal, it isn't necessarily a guarantee that VanVleet will be playing for Houston next year. The Rockets blew him away with an offer he couldn't refuse back in 2023, and another team could so the same when/if he hits the open market this offseason. If VanVleet does become an unrestricted free agent, which teams outside of Houston would make the most sense for him to sign with? 1. Orlando Magic Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner recently signed big deals with the Orlando Magic, and Paolo Banchero will be getting a mega contract extension here soon. Because of that, the Magic no longer have money to blow like they have had in recent years. That will make a deal for another big ticket free agent hard to pull off, especially considering the team signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope last year. If Orlando can make the money work, though, then Fred VanVleet would be a great fit with the Magic. The Magic finished dead last in 3-point shooting this season, and VanVleet has made at least 2.5 deep balls per game in every season since 2018-19. VanVleet can hit shots form behind the arc off of the bounce or in catch-and-shoot situations. The Rockets were heavily reliant on his shooting expertise, so the guard would have plenty of familiarity getting up deep shots with high volume if he signed with the Magic. While undersized, VanVleet is a pesky defender, so he'd fit right in with a Magic team that has one of the best defensive units in the league. VanVleet could play alongside Suggs and give opposing teams fits. Ultimately, though, the Magic just need more shooting to get to the next level, and VanVleet is arguably the best shooter who could be available on the open market this offseason. 2. Brooklyn Nets A more realistic option for a VanVleet destination would be the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets are set up to have the most cap space this offseason, and they have a major need at point guard. With D'Angelo Russell and De'Anthony Melton hitting free agency this offseason, the Nets don't have a true point guard under contract for next season. Brooklyn needs to spend big this offseason, and they'd be smart to offer VanVleet a contract big enough that he'd have no choice but to leave Houston. VanVleet averaged 14.1 points per game last season, which was his lowest mark since 2018-19. He is trending the wrong way, but he still has enough left in the tank to give the Nets a few good seasons. 3. Portland Trail Blazers In the same way that the Rockets were looking to take the next step in 2023, the Portland Trail Blazers could use VanVleet's presence to get over the hump. The Trail Blazers have plenty of big man depth, as centers Deandre Ayton, Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams, and Duop Death are all under contract next season. Portland also has a lot of wing depth. Deni Advija started to look like a star late this past season, Toumani Camara is an elite defender, Shaedon Sharpe is a freakish athlete, and Jerami Grant is a proven scorer. The team is thinner in the backcourt, though. Anfernee Simons is a solid scorer, but Scoot Henderson has looked like a fringe draft bust since being drafted third overall. Portland shouldn't give up on Henderson completely, but there wouldn't be any harm in signing another guard. Like the Magic, the Blazers were one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the NBA. VanVleet would improve that weakness, and in a stacked Western Conference, Portland needs all of the help they can get if they are to compete for a playoff spot.
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Trade Kemba Walker, the 2021 No. 6 overall pick, and 4 future firsts for Damian Lillard

In this scenario, the Blazers would acquire Kemba Walker and five first-round selections by trading Lillard. Walker had a down year this season because of injuries, but he's a very capable point guard who could thrive in Chauncey Billups' system as long as he's healthy. Portland would maintain solid point guard play while adding five draft picks. The sixth overall selection in the 2021 NBA Draft would give the Trail Blazers a talented prospect, while the other four picks are available at their disposal. Portland would regress in 2021, but the draft capital would keep them relevant for years to come.

The Thunder would give up five picks in this situation, but that's not all that important given the amount of picks they have at their disposal. The acquisition of Damian Lillard would give the team life once again. Oklahoma City would have an extremely dangerous backcourt featuring Lillard and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (the Blazers could ask for him in a deal). With free agency still on the horizon, the Thunder could build themselves a nice playoff contender by signing a big-name free agent.

We'll see what happens, though, as it's more likely the Blazers trade CJ McCollum this offseason instead. However, if another team offers five first-round picks, it might be too much for the front office to refuse. Both organizations would walk away winners in this deal, as each of them would have the potential to make the postseason while owning multiple draft picks to build for the future. Winning now and having longevity is what each franchise is looking for, and this Damian Lillard trade would do just that.