(Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
The Damian Lillard era of the Portland Trail Blazers may end after this season, with the team potentially looking at a future without their superstar guard.
Although Lillard wants to retire with the Blazers and has no intention to play anywhere else, the writing seems to be on the wall that he can’t win in Portland, and a change may be needed.
According to Nick Wright of Fox Sports, the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers should be the two NBA teams on the phones this summer trying to acquire Lillard in a blockbuster trade.
Dame x Embiid? Dame x Tatum?
— @getnickwright proposes 2 trades for Damian Lillard to leave Portland: pic.twitter.com/YJNpIiywi4
— What’s Wright? with Nick Wright (@WhatsWrightShow) March 30, 2023
Wright could be on to something with this take about the Celtics and 76ers, as both teams are incredibly talented but have yet to put it together in the postseason with their superstars in their primes.
The Celtics seem to be on the cusp of a championship, with the team coming into this season off an NBA Finals run and Jayson Tatum looking like he’ll be an MVP candidate in the coming years.
Philadelphia is intriguing because Wright pointed out that Lillard can stretch the defense and give Joel Embiid room to work in the paint.
The James Harden element makes the 76ers much more compelling.
With Lillard, Harden and Embiid, Philadelphia would likely be favorites to win it all, if not at the very least to win the Eastern Conference next season.
At this point, something has to give, or it will be more of the same for Portland, with Lillard left with a legacy of being a dynamic scorer, and that’s about it.
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