Portland Trail Blazers
Trade deadline candidate: Damian Lillard/Jerami Grant
With the way things have trended recently, it doesn’t appear as if the Portland Trail Blazers are going to trade Damian Lillard before the start of the season. If something doesn’t change drastically between now and the start of the season, Lillard would be the ideal trade deadline candidate for the Blazers. If he is moved before the season, though, Jerami Grant is a name to keep an eye on. He can’t be traded for a while but once he becomes trade-eligible, Grant is a player that would be highly sought-after if made available.
Considering the Blazers are heading into a full rebuild, it doesn’t make much sense for Grant to be on the roster. If Grant isn’t traded this season, it’s probably a good bet that he does get moved within the next couple of seasons. If the perfect storm occurs, there’s a path toward the Blazers moving both Lillard and Grant in the next six months.
Portland has a bright future with Shaedon Sharpe, Anfernee Simons, and Scoot Henderson, but there are going to be a few difficult years ahead before they take any tangible steps forward.