Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard has time and again mentioned that he wants to be part of a winning team now. Having spent the entirety of his career in Portland, the 7x NBA All-Star is reportedly finally ready to leave to pursue the Larry O’Brien Trophy. However, the Blazers front office is seemingly trying its hardest to make sure Lillard stays put. For that, they even put their recent third overall draft pick, Scoot Henderson, in trade talks for an 8x All-Star, whose legacy is intertwined with that of Lillard’s.
The Trail Blazers have missed the last two postseasons despite the heroics of Lillard. While the duo of Lillard and Scoot Henderson looks exciting, they might not be ready to compete for a championship just yet. So who did the Blazers look to acquire recently?
The Trail Blazers tried to team up 8x NBA All-Star with Damian Lillard
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According to reporter Howard Beck, Portland briefly discussed swapping Scoot Henderson for Paul George. The Los Angeles Clippers star averaged close to 24 points with a field goal percentage of 45.7% along with 6.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game for the 2022-2023 season for the 56 games he played.
Unfortunately for George, his season was cut short as he was hard done by a hyper-extending right knee which he suffered against the Oklahoma City Thunder in a regular season matchup. However, his quality is unquestionable. Whether Lillard would like to team up with the 33-year-old is another question, though, especially considering the iconic game-winner he had over George back in the 2019 playoffs. That shot is probably the most memorable moment from both of their careers.
WATCH THIS STORY: Damian Lillard drops a time bomb about his NBA future
Scoot Henderson, on the other hand, is on a raging hot run as he prepares himself for his first professional season in the big leagues after being the 3rd overall pick in the draft for 2023. Henderson put up some impressive numbers in an Ignite jersey. As a 19-year-old rookie playing in the G-League, he averaged just under 18 points per game during the 2022-2023 season.
While the execution of this trade seems a little far-fetched, fans were quick to jump in with their takes.
NBA Fans slam the potential trade idea
The NBA fans have been all over the place regarding this trade speculation as one wrote, ?PG is not even gonna play.? ?No way the Blazers make the same mistake the Clippers made when they traded SGA for PG13?
PG is not even gonna play 😭😭
— Red ❤️🔥 (@RedLightning420) June 27, 2023
https://twitter.com/sntjah/status/1673722116926230528?s=46&t=tnOhoLI8yfnC-sYF6_Z_qQ
Another fan claimed that Scoot was already better than George.
LMAOOOO scoot better than PG
— RUI FANATIC (@therealselena23) June 27, 2023
One fan believed that if the Clippers were to trade George, then that would be the end of their championship window.
https://twitter.com/nijigasakilove/status/1673752841658179591?s=20
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Bad trade
— ANT➐ (@Duragdonic) June 27, 2023
The Blazers would gain a valuable two-way athlete in the form of Paul George if they go through with this rumored trade but his fitness levels are being put into question here up against a hyperactive 19-year-old who?s looking to make a dominant mark in his rookie season.
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What are your thoughts on the reported interest of Blazers in George? Let us know in the comments.