Portland Trail Blazers: 5 teams who could trade for Damian Lillard

Teams that could trade for Damian Lillard: Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets were rolling in the weeks following the trade deadline. Newly acquired forward Aaron Gordon fit the rotation like a glove and both Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. were balling out alongside Nikola Jokic, in the heart of his MVP campaign. Title aspirations were forming into expectations.

Then disaster struck as Jamal Murray tore his ACL, robbing him of this postseason and much of next year, if not all of it. This team is only going to get more expensive, and a notoriously stingy owner will be even less likely to greenlight deep luxury tax payments if the team’s star point guard is out of commission.

In a bold move, the Nuggets could swing for the fences and compete for a title in this upcoming season. It would take the Trail Blazers committing to a season in the dregs, and a hard sell to the Denver fan base.

Trade package: Jamal Murray, Bol Bol, future first-round pick, two first-round pick swaps to Portland; Damian Lillard to Denver

The Nuggets would be an offensive firehose, with teams stretched past their breaking point defending Jokic and Lillard at the same time. The team would have to re-sign Aaron Gordon at this point or risk no plus defenders in the starting lineup. They would be in the mix for the top seed in the Western Conference and the title. The window wouldn’t stay open forever, as Lillard will turn 31 before the season starts, but it will be wide open right now.

The Trail Blazers do this deal because Jamal Murray may be the most proven player available in a trade, and he plays the same position as Lillard. They could trade for Murray, rest on their laurels for a season, and add a high draft pick to the roster for the next season, when Murray returns fully healthy and they make another push back into the playoffs. Bol Bol, the pick and the swaps build this into enough of a return to make it worth it for the Trail Blazers.