Boston Celtics
Portland Trail BlazersA Portland Megadeal
The first deal would be a whopper: a swap that includes Kemba Walker, Gordon Hayward and two future first-round picks to bring on Damian Lillard, Jusuf Nurkic, Trevor Ariza and Rodney Hood.
Why the Boston Celtics do it
If you are going to lose an All-NBA point guard, why not replace him with another? That has been the C’s motto the last five years, having gone from IT to Irving to Walker in a span of three summers. Damian Lillard is one of the few true upgrades available on the market, and having two closers (along with Jayson Tatum) would vault Boston into the conversation of who the top dog in the east is.
Giving up Gordon Hayward and a pair of draft picks helps get the deal done, and the team would bring on a stud center in Jusuf Nurkic–whose team-friendly contract could make losing Daniel Theis in 2021 free agency a lot easier of a pill to swallow.
Trevor Ariza would be a valuable veteran hand, and if Rodney Hood could recover from a torn right Achilles injury (something I recently suffered in a pickup game and wouldn’t wish on anyone) the Cs would have one of the strongest second units in the association.
Why the Portland Trailblazers do it
There’s no sign of Lillard wanting out of Portland, but if that conversation ever happened, this is about as enticing as a package that exists. Walker would not replicate Lillard’s 30 points per game, but his playmaking alongside C.J. McCollum would keep Portland afloat in the Western Conference.
Let’s not downplay what a contract-year Gordon Hayward could bring either. He’d have an elevated role in Portland compared to what he projects to be in Boston in 2020-21. Adding two first-round picks is the cherry on top.