The Blazers’ 2022-23 season ended on a disappointing note, as they failed to qualify for the Play-In Tournament once again. This despite another excellent season by Damian Lillard, who is now 32 years old and has been the focus of numerous trade speculations.
Getting Pascal Siakam from the Raptors is the finest move for the Blazers to help Damian Lillard
The Portland Trail Blazers need to make a decision about whether to keep trying to develop around Lillard or to finally blow everything up and rebuild.
If Lillard is truly giving Portland one final shot, then the Blazers should jump at the chance to get a player like Pascal Siakam this offseason.
With Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. potentially going in the offseason, Toronto may use this time to reevaluate their own roster.
Let’s take a look at the ideal offer Portland might make to the Raptors in an effort to get Siakam now that the Blazers have the chance to put together a package that might intrigue the team.
- Blazers get: Pascal Siakam
- Raptors get: Anfernee Simons, Nassir Little, Keon Johnson, and the third pick in the draft in 2023
The Raptors will find it difficult to get into these negotiations because it means they will have to accept the reality that their present core has reached its potential and they will have to start over.
If VanVleet ends up leaving Toronto, Anfernee Simons can take over at guard for him. To help reshape their lineup, Toronto can take either Brandon Miller or Scoot Henderson with the third overall pick.
To make the salary numbers and the transaction work for both teams, Nassir Little and Keon Johnson have been inserted. Any NBA fan would like watching the team, thanks to the backcourt tandem of Simons and Henderson and the supporting cast of OG Anunoby and Scottie Barnes.
If the Blazers are successful in their pursuit of Siakam, they will have a second All-Star on their roster to complement Lillard. Siakam has championship experience, and his game is a good fit with Lillard’s approach and style.
Even if they aren’t enough to win a championship right away, Lillard and Siakam can serve as magnets for other talented players to join this formidable duo.
If Jerami Grant thinks the Trail Blazers have a chance to make a deep postseason run, he may re-sign with the team. The front office needs to add a few complementary players to the Blazers’ core, such as knockdown shooters and robust big men.
They need to keep trying to improve their roster so that Lillard knows they have his best interests in mind.
With players like Matisse Thybulle, Shaedon Sharpe, and Jusuf Nurkic remaining on the squad, the package they send to Toronto won’t hurt them.
The Siakam move won’t solve everything, but it’s a big step toward giving their fans the victory they’ve been waiting for.
Portland will be the big winner of the trade because they got the best player in the deal.
Siakam, who is still in his peak at age 29, has probably the finest line of his career this year with 24.2 points per game, 7.8 rebounds per game, and 5.8 assists per game.
And since Lillard has voiced his displeasure with the possibility of a rebuild in Portland, the Blazers have little choice but to make a splash, and Siakam is the best player available on the trade market.
