There has been a ton of player movement this offseason. Teams traded up and down the board during the 2021 NBA Draft, and free agency was as hectic as it normally is. But, if there was one thing this offseason was missing, it was big, blockbuster trades.
There were plenty of rumors about some All-Stars that could be on the move, but none of them came to fruition yet. Russell Westbrook being traded by the Washington Wizards to the Los Angeles Lakers was the biggest trade that went down this offseason.
NBA All-Stars Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal were mentioned in some trade rumors, but nothing came of those. Kristaps Porzingis has also been mentioned as a possible trade centerpiece.
Everyone is waiting on a Ben Simmons trade to be consummated, as it looks like it is only a matter of time until the Philadelphia 76ers part ways with their disgruntled All-Star.
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While Lillard has denied asking for a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers, there has been a lot of chatter about him being on the move.
This offseason, the Trail Blazers didn’t do much to shake up their roster despite losing in the first round of the playoffs in four out of the last five years. Recently, Portland completed a trade for Larry Nance Jr. but did not significantly add talent around Lillard.
Trading Lillard would shift the landscape of the NBA, as the team acquiring him would transform into a contender overnight. Plenty of teams would love to acquire him, but it will be costly.
Jamal Murray could be the centerpiece of such a deal. One team that could pony up the price for him could be the Denver Nuggets. What could a trade between the two teams look like? Let’s take a look at this hypothetical deal from Bleacher Report.