NBA Draft rumors: Potential Damian Lillard trade to Magic
The Portland Trail Blazers are widely expected to build around Damian Lillard this summer, but life can change in an instant in the NBA. Lillard is 32 years old; Portland's other core pieces, Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe, are 23 and 20 years old, respectively. The Blazers are a young team clinging to a brilliant but aging star. At some point the front office has to consider hitting the reset button.
Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley recently dropped a slate of hypothetical trades, one of which involves Lillard being sent to the Orlando Magic for a juicy return.
Portland Trail Blazers receive: Markelle Fultz, Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Isaac, No. 6 pick, No. 11 pick and 2025 first-round pick (top-three protected)
Orlando Magic receive: Damian Lillard
Orlando is currently in possession of two lottery picks, not to mention one of the best young cores in the NBA. With Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner already knocking on stardom's door, there's logic in pursuing a big-swing trade of this nature. Lillard can vault Orlando into contention right away. Meanwhile, Banchero and Wagner will continue to develop and evolve over time. It's like an actually successful version of the Warriors' whole "two timelines" venture.
The Blazers get two lottery picks and another future first to kickstart their retool. Markelle Fultz would join Anfernee Simons in the backcourt (as well as Portland's pick at No. 3, be it Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller or Amen Thompson). Fultz's ability to create for others pairs nicely with Simons' dynamic perimeter shooting and scoring repertoire. Jonathan Isaac is mostly salary filler, but he was a burgeoning DPOY candidate in the not so distant past. Injuries have dragged his career to a screeching halt in recent years, but there's still lingering upside.
Portland would have to be absolutely convinced of the quality of players available at No. 6 and No. 11 — and, frankly, Orlando would still probably have to include more given the rising price of superstars on the trade market. The Magic are taking a calculated risk, but Lillard is probably worth it. The East, as we learned quite well this postseason, is there for the taking.
NBA Draft rumors: Scoot Henderson could fall all the way to No. 4
Scoot Henderson began the season as the consensus No. 2 prospect behind Victor Wembanyama. Most boards still have him there, but Brandon Miller has entered the conversation as a strong candidate to supplant Henderson in the No. 2 spot — especially after Charlotte moved up on draft night.
The Hornets already have a point guard in LaMelo Ball, which could spur the front office to look more favorably upon the fit of Brandon Miller, a 6-foot-9 wing with elite shooting touch. Henderson is more traditionally ball dominant and his 3-point numbers weren't great in the G-League.
Meanwhile, the Blazers own the No. 3 pick and are already heavily involved in trade rumors. If the pick is kept, then the fit between Henderson, a 6-foot-2 point guard, and Damian Lillard, another 6-foot-2 point guard, is even more of a concern than Henderson's fit with 6-foot-7 LaMelo Ball. There's also Anfernee Simons to consider.
According to Jonathan Givony of ESPN, the Blazers are expected to give "long looks" to Amen Thompson of the Overtime Elite league. Thompson is another traditionally ball-dominant playmaker, but he's 6-foot-7 and profiles much more favorably on the defensive end next to Portland's current core.
All that is to say, Henderson — the No. 2 prospect on our board here at FanSided — could tumble all the way to the Rockets at No. 4. Houston also has a bunch of guards and is expected to pursue James Harden in free agency, so expect the trade chatter to heat up considerably if Henderson does end up floating in the 3-4 range. He's a tremendous player and would likely make any team very happy.
NBA Draft rumors: Bilal Coulibaly could have promise in the lottery
Victor Wembanyama isn't the only player from French team Metropolitans 92 expected to go off the board early on draft night. His teammate, 18-year-old wing Bilal Coulibaly, may also have a lottery promise according to Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman.
Coulibaly has been trending upward all season, and recent flashes of self-creation have only increased the buzz around his name. A tremendous athlete with advanced defensive instincts for his age, Coulibaly is the No. 14 prospect on the FanSided board. He would fit the bill for several teams picking late in the lottery.
Wasserman did not have a specific team nailed down, but he mocked Coulibaly to the Raptors at No. 13. When one considers Toronto's long history of drafting rangy, athletic wings like OG Anunoby or even Bruno Caboclo, who some say is still two years away from being two years away, it becomes quite easy to project Coulibaly as next in line for Masai Ujiri's ongoing wing project.
Another team gaining steam in the Coulibaly rumor mill is OKC at No. 12. While the Thunder have also been floated as a team that could look to trade up, OKC has a wide array of creative playmakers who could accentuate Coulibaly's offensive strengths as a finisher, straight-line driver, and spot-up shooter. Plus, he'd add to an already impressive defensive core of Chet Holmgren, Lu Dort, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
For more information on this year's NBA Draft class, check out our latest Mock Draft and Big Board.
