7. Portland Trail Blazers
Although the Portland Trail Blazers continue to insist they’re not splitting up their star backcourt, Butler would represent a tremendous upgrade on the defensive end. He and Damian Lillard might fit better together than Dame and CJ McCollum. If Thibodeau were interested in such a deal, Rip City should at least think about it.
After averaging 21.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game on 39.7 percent long range shooting last year, McCollum would be dynamic as the focal point in Minnesota’s backcourt. To balance out salaries, the T-Wolves would also throw in Justin Patton, a recent first round selection who hasn’t been able to stay on the court.
The problem is, as much as a trade for someone like Jimmy Butler makes sense for Rip City, it makes more sense in the context of keeping Dame and CJ. Trading one just represents a shakeup, and a risky one at that if the Blazers couldn’t sell Butler on their ceiling and their status as a great basketball town.
In an effort to keep the star backcourt intact, it’s hard to see what Portland could offer that would actually intrigue Minnesota, which is where the biggest obstacle lies as long as McCollum remains off limits.
No clue how pdx or NOP swing a jimmy trade while keeping their core but they should prob be most aggressive before dame/AD angle out next
— #1 Point God Stan (@samesfandiari) September 19, 2018
After fielding a top-10 defense last year, it’s clear the Lillard-McCollum backcourt can survive on that end. The question is what it’ll take to get them over the hump in the playoffs after such a disappointing first round flameout. The answer could very well be someone like Jimmy Butler, but this kind of deal is unlikely to materialize.