Damian Lillard knows the Denver Nuggets are coming off a second-round exit to the Phoenix Suns. They may not have had as much playoff success as last year, but the Nuggets showed potential this year. Superstar center Nikola Jokic took home his first MVP award, becoming the first center to win the award since Shaquille O'Neal.
The Nuggets were without star guard Jamal Murray throughout the playoffs as he tore his ACL. Murray was instrumental last season in the playoffs helping lead them to the Conference Finals.
While the Nuggets have shown the ability to make a deep playoff run, it will only get tougher in the stacked Western Conference.
Making a trade for Damian Lillard would help the Nuggets become a championship contender.
The Lillard trade rumors have heated up and the Nuggets are in a great position to make this move. Here is the perfect trade the Nuggets must offer the Blazers for Lillard.
Nuggets trade Jamal Murray, Zeke Nnaji, 26th pick in the 2021 draft, and 2024 first-round pick
While Murray has been great for the Nuggets, Lillard would elevate the team to a whole new level. They would instantly have one of the best duos in the league as they would have 2 top 10 players. For the Blazers this trade would give them two young players as well as future draft capital. Murray is an emerging star and could be a building block for the Blazers.
He was in the midst of a career year averaging 21.2 points per game on 47.7 percent shooting from the field and 40.8 percent from the three-point line. Murray is a great young scorer with so much potential going forward.
Nnaji on the other hand could develop into a solid backup big for the Blazers. He is an explosive athlete and plays with great effort on every play.
While Murray and Nnaji are intriguing pieces, it wouldn't be enough to acquire Lillard. That is why the Nuggets would have to include 2 first-round picks to get the deal done.
What would the Blazers look like without Lillard?
It's no secret that the Blazers would enter a new era by trading Lillard. After making this trade, the Blazers would likely go into a full-scale rebuild by trading away C.J. McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic. The return for those players would be young players as well as draft picks. This team would still have a shot at making the playoffs led by Murray while also building up the young core.
The Blazers have hit a roadblock with Lillard and making this move would help them get a new direction for the franchise.
What would the Nuggets look like with Lillard?
As of now, the Nuggets are an up-and-coming team but are not a contender. However, if they make this deal for Lillard, they would be a lethal contender. They would be on the same level as a contender like the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, and the Brooklyn Nets. What these teams share in common is lethal star power. The Lakers have LeBron James and Anthony Davis while the Suns have Devin Booker and Chris Paul and the Nets have James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant.
Having star power is a must now in the NBA, and this trade would give them the ability to compete with these teams.
This trade would benefit both teams and the Nuggets must make this offer to acquire Lillard.
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