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A number of fascinating scenarios in the 2023 NBA draft could shift how the entire board ultimately falls.
Two in particular will come early, as the Charlotte Hornets will ostensibly decide between Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson with the No. 2 overall pick, and the Portland Trail Blazers will decide between making any selection at all or trading the No. 3 overall pick for more veteran help.
But that may prove to be more difficult than initially expected.
According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, “While the Trail Blazers have signaled an openness to move that No. 3 pick—general manager Joe Cronin told Yahoo Sports in May his team is ‘trying to win and trying to maximize Damian [Lillard’s] timeline’—rival teams are skeptical Portland will find a suitable trade partner for that coveted selection before the Blazers come on the clock.”
Whatever the Blazers’ intent, it still takes two to tango. If teams aren’t interested in trading away the type of superstar that would move the needle for Lillard and increase Portland’s title chances, the Blazers are going to be stuck.
Another question is what else the Blazers might be willing to part with alongside the No. 3 overall pick for an established star. At least one young player seemingly won’t be on the move, as Fischer reported that “Trail Blazers officials have left inquiring teams with the impression that Shaedon Sharpe, the No. 7 pick in last year’s draft, is off limits in any dialogue regarding the No. 3 pick.”
That means the most logical option to sweeten any trade package is 23-year-old shooting guard Anfernee Simons, a rising star who averaged 21.1 points per game in the 2022-23 season.
He’s set to make $24.1 million, and for salary-matching purposes—let’s assume any incoming superstar will make somewhere in the $35-45 million range in salary next year—the Blazers may have to also include Jusuf Nurkic and his $16.8 million salary to make the money work.
That would leave the team with Lillard, the star-to-be-determined, Sharpe, Jerami Grant (if he re-signs with Portland in free agency), Nassir Little, Keon Johnson and any other free-agent additions and draft picks as the central core.
The alternative is going all-in on a rebuild around the No. 3 pick, Sharpe, Simons and the draft assets the team could accumulate by trading Lillard. The downside is that Lillard packs in the crowds, and smaller-market organizations don’t easily part with those types of stars.
But what happens if the Blazers can’t acquire the sort of superstar whom Lillard would want or need to pursue titles? Then things might get very, very interesting.
A lot hinges on this year’s NBA draft when it comes to the Blazers.
