Making the Case: Denver Nuggets
The Portland Trail Blazers must figure out the direction of the franchise. There comes a time when each team has to look in the mirror and figure out which way they want to go. It is a bit more difficult when there is a superstar involved.
Similar to what the Washington Wizards are going through with Bradley Beal, the Blazers are a rebuilding team that does not want to send away their franchise player.
Damian Lillard has brought a lot to the Trail Blazers over the years, but all good things must come to an end. Similar to Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder deciding there isn’t an outlook to contend for a championship, the Trail Blazers and Lillard could benefit from a similar outcome.
When looking at the return, Porter Jr. is an extremely promising talent for the Blazers to build around, assuming he can stay healthy.
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When healthy, Porter Jr. has shown intriguing versatility as a scorer. In a system more focused on his strengths, perhaps he could take even further steps forward.
There is a chance the Trail Blazers land a top-five pick in this year’s draft. If this is the case, they would add another cornerstone next to Porter Jr. for years to come. This is how a team rebuilds in the league and the Blazers seem to be at that point.
