Why the Denver Nuggets need to Trade for Damian Lillard
The Denver Nuggets have surely been impressive the past two seasons. They have been a top-3 seed each of the last two years and are on pace to win 45+ games for the third straight season. Despite this, Denver is not being talk about. Why is that? They have established themselves as one of the best teams in the league with a deep young core surrounding their emerging superstar, Nikola Jokic. But they’re missing something that all of the contenders have… A second star to pair with Jokic. Murray is decent and has upside but hasn’t taken that next step as a guy who can seriously be a complimentary star in the postseason. To take the next step, Denver needs to acquire a superstar caliber player from the perimeter. That’s where Damian Lillard comes in.Here is a mock trade that could potentially bring Damian Lillard to Denver:
Portland Trail Blazers Receive: Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., 2023 unprotected 1st round pick, 2024 unprotected 1st round pick
Nuggets receive: Damian Lillard
What Denver Gets:
It is fair to say this trade would set the NBA on fire. A Damian Lillard and Nikola Jokic tandem would be absolutely disgusting. By making this trade, Denver has a legit superstar that compliments Jokic tremendously that also can serve to be their primary closer in big moments; something Denver desperately needs. Damian Lillard also isn’t like a Kyrie Irving where the chemistry between him and Denver is worrisome. He simply wants to win games and understands Denver would be a great spot to do that. Since Denver would add Dame while maintaining most of their depth, how would Denver not be the favorites to win it all in 2021? The Lakers are getting older, Paul George isn’t trust worthy, and the Giannis situation is very fragile. Denver is one piece away from winning a championship, it’s now time to stop playing games and grab their guy.
What Portland gets:
Let’s be honest, Portland has hit their peak. If there was any chance of them winning a championship, it would have happened last year. With the losses of key role-players such as Al-Farouq Aminu, Jake Layman, Seth Curry, and Evan Turner… they lost a ton of shooting and defense which has ultimately set them back this year and it’d be hard to reload the depth while in Damian’s prime. By getting Jamal, you potentially have a potential franchise point-guard replacement that possesses a similar skillset to Damian Lillard. With Porter Jr., you are getting an unbelievably talented prospect that could easily be their next franchise player if they are able to keep him healthy… they also get future picks to utilize to help jumpstart their rebuild!
Conclusion:
This would be a win-win scenario for both teams. Denver is able to obtain their missing piece and Portland is able to jumpstart their rebuild with young talent and draft picks. If Nikola Jokic and Damian Lillard ever had the opportunity to play on the same team, they would have the chance to go down as one of the best offensive duos to ever pair up in league history.
