The San Antonio Spurs, as Damian Lillard of the Blazers is aware, have missed the playoffs the past two seasons after making them the previous 22 seasons. They have acquired talent over the past few seasons and could be a trade away from playoff contention. The Spurs will have many intriguing options and decisions going forward in this offseason.
While the Spurs look ready to compete for a playoff run, the Portland Trail Blazers may be heading towards a rebuild. The Blazers have reached their peak as a team and need to embrace a rebuild. Trading away superstar guard Damian Lillard will give them great assets as they head into a new era.
If the Spurs are going to trade for Lillard, they will want to pair him with Dejounte Murray and DeMar DeRozan. This trio would be very underrated and could compete in the Western Conference.
Here is the perfect trade the Spurs must offer the Blazers for Damian Lillard.
Spurs trade Derrick White, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, 12th pick in 2021, 2023 1st-round pick, 2025 1st-round pick
The Spurs are giving away quite a haul in this deal by trading away three young players as well as future draft picks. It would be well worth the deal as Lillard is a top player in the league. This trade would also be great for the Blazers as they get 3 potential building blocks along with draft capital for the future.
What would the Blazers look like with a new core?
It's no secret that if the Blazers trade Lillard to the Spurs or anyone else, it will be an end of an era. Lillard has been the player they have been building around since he was drafted. Unfortunately, the Lillard-led Blazers have reached a peak, and it's time to move on.
What they are getting in return could help them build for the future. White could be a solid starter or 6th man as he is a solid scorer. He averaged 15.4 points per game while being a plus defender. Vassell on the other hand is coming off of his rookie campaign where he showed some potential. He is a great defender with the potential to be a solid offensive player.
Johnson is the other player involved in the trade and is the most enticing. He had a great second season as he averaged 12.8 points per game along with 6 rebounds. Johnson is also a career 36 percent three-point shooter which provides spacing.
This trade would also create more cap space as they move in a new direction.
What would the Spurs look like with Lillard?
The Spurs would instantly become a competitive team with a trade for Lillard. They would still have a core piece in Murray and enough cap space to resign DeRozan. DeRozan, Lillard, and Murray would fit well together with a combination of elite scoring and defense.
The Spurs were missing an elite scorer last year and Lillard would fill that void. Lillard averaged 28.8 points per game last season along with 7.5 assists. His playmaking ability is very underrated and would allow Murray and DeRozan to play off the ball. He is also a very efficient shooter as he shot 39.1 percent from three last season on 10.5 attempts per game.
The one remaining question is would Lillard want to go to the Spurs? While Lillard can't pick where he goes, the Blazers may give him some input as he has been loyal to the franchise. It is unknown if Lillard would want to go to the Spurs, but he loves Head Coach Gregg Popovich. According to the San Diego Union-Tribute Lillard said: “Pop being the coach of the national team played a big role in my decision to commit.”
Lillard committed to the Olympics partly due to Popovich being the coach of the team. The Spurs must offer this trade to the Blazers for Lillard to get back to playoff contention.
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