Damian Lillard trade reports: Trail Blazers will just engage 76ers if Tyrese Maxey is offered

It’s mid-September and Damian Lillard is yet to be traded. Training camp is nearing at the start of October, however up until then there isn’t much else to discuss in the NBA world so there are going to be a great deal of reports and reports, both trustworthy and uncredible, flying around. 

Here’s the current, and it’s trustworthy, as it originates from ESPN’s Bobby Marks, who stated in a current roundtable, “the only way Portland engages Philadelphia in trade talks is if [Tyrese] Maxey is involved, but Philadelphia has shown no inclination to move its young guard.”

For complete context, here’s the theoretical three-team trade in between the Blazers, Sixers and Clippers that Marks and his ESPN coworkers talked about: 

Philadelphia 76ers get: Damian Lillard, Terance Mann, Norman Powell and Robert Covington

Portland Trail Blazers get:  Furkan Korkmaz, Tyrese Maxey, Jaden Springer, Nicolas Batum, Amir Coffey, Marcus Morris Sr., 2028 and 2030 first-round choices (from LA Clippers)

LA Clippers get: James Harden and Tobias Harris

If I’m the Sixers, I do this offer. Putting Lillard, who is better than James Harden at this moment, beside Joel Embiid, and changing Tobias Harris with Norman Powell and Terance Mann, makes you a considerably much better group. 

If I’m the Blazers, I’m unsure. Maxey is much better than Herro with more benefit and much better trade worth, however the distinction in between the 2 isn’t that excellent. Miami’s bundle that would nearly undoubtedly consist of Nikola Jovic and Jaime Jaquez Jr. (plus 2 first-round choices and some swaps) provides Portland much more young skill and is a much better overall offer. 

Joe Cronin would truly need to think Maxey deserved handing down 2 additional young potential customers, which would be weird provided Portland’s dedication to Scoot Henderson. You’re not winning long term with Maxey and Henderson. That’s too little a backcourt. As it stands, Anfernee Simons is most likely currently going to need to be traded at some time, however that’s another conversation I expect. 

At any rate, if it’s truly the Sixers who are reluctant to consist of Maxey in a possible Lillard trade, and the Blazers truly would pertain to the table if Maxey were on it, Daryl Morey is slipping up. Maxey is a great gamer with All-Star possible, however this is Damian Lillard and Joel Embiid we’re speaking about. Morey would never ever have a much better possibility to win a title in Philly than with that duo and a strong supporting cast around it.