Blazers ‘willing’ to trade No. 3, says Woj

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski joins the chorus of reports that the Portland Trail Blazers are looking to trade the No. 3 pick.

• as if
  
  Jeremy_Brenner
  

• on May 26, 2023 at 12:00 PM

The Portland Trail Blazers are weeks away from the NBA draft, where a major decision will be made regarding the direction of the franchise.

The Blazers currently hold the No. 3 pick in next month’s draft and could either add another promising rookie to their core or trade the pick for a more talented player to help the team win an early championship.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on The Wedge Pod, the Blazers are “willing to” trade No. 3 for an elite player.

“For the 3rd pick, you have to return a very talented player,” Wojnarowski said. “Portland, in a lot of ways — the draft starts with them.

This puts the Blazers in a very dangerous position in the weeks leading up to the draft. By buying this pick, Portland should get enough package for the No. 3 pick. But if the team can’t find a trade, the Blazers will have to decide whether to take the best offer available to them or select a top starter, which could be part-time Elite guard Amen Thompson or Alabama small forward Brandon Miller.

Getting a starter like Miller or Thompson could help the Blazers long-term, but it could also be the straw that ends the Damian Lillard era in Portland. Lillard has repeatedly told the front office that he wants to be part of a team with veterans as opposed to younger players, so taking a starter could push Dem into a trade request.

You can listen to the Woj Pod with the Blazers segment starting around the 12:10 mark here.

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