The Portland Trail Blazers hold some serious leverage for the upcoming 2023 NBA Draft. While they missed out on the golden ticket and the possibility of drafting Victor Wembanyama, their 3rd overall pick is proving to hold plenty of value, at least according to reports.
Blazers Hold The Power With #3 Pick
Report: Portland Trail Blazers could target Paul George with No. 3 pick https://t.co/PyIPlMeZGg
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) June 20, 2023
Portland is in an interesting position. They have one of the game’s best players on their roster in Damian Lillard, but have failed to surround him with the talent necessary to compete for championships. It has become an increasingly tough problem for the overly-loyal Lillard to deal with, and the talks about him wanting out are louder now than they’ve ever been.
Do they do what they can in trying to maximize Lillard’s twilight years with the team? Should they deal the 3rd overall pick away in exchange for an established veteran who is able to win now?
Or, do the Blazers capitalize on Lillard’s current value around the league? His contract is gaudy but tradable, and there are plenty of contending teams who could use one of the best shooters we’ve ever seen manning the point guard position. If the team wanted to get younger and begin a new era, they could keep their high pick and trade Lillard for a treasure chest of assets.
The rumor mill is heating up as far as the possibility of trading the pick for a veteran. There have been talks about the Blazers being interested in Zion Williamson, and his Pelicans have reportedly shown a large interest in moving up in the draft.
But there are two new names that surfaced on Tuesday as possibilities for Portland.
Adebayo, George Could Be Targets
The Blazers are prepared to make a significant offer to the Miami Heat for Bam Adebayo 🤯, per @JakeLFischer pic.twitter.com/5e5k6DWuPz
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) June 20, 2023
Yahoo senior NBA reporter Jake Fischer went into detail on the situation in his latest article, and said that Portland would be targeting forwards with size “at the top echelon of the league’s player hierarchy.” It was a fancy way to say that the Blazers want an All Star veteran forward.
Fischer got specific, saying that Portland had a heavy interest in Miami’s Bam Adebayo, and even put his name in the title of the piece. Another player that he mentions is the Clippers’ Paul George.
Both seem like unlikely scenarios. Both George and Adebayo are on teams whose management feels are a piece or two away from competing for a championship, and the players mentioned are big parts of their current and respective cores. It would probably take an overpay if someone were to pry one of them away, which is something that Portland should be wary of.
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