The Portland Trail Blazers are facing a bit of a dilemma. They could either decide to trade away Damian Lillard and develop through the NBA Draft, or trade that No. 3 pick to try and get another All-Star by his side.
And according to the latest reports, the Blazers could be leaning toward the first option, meaning they would run it back with Lillard at the helm for at least another season.
With that in mind, Chicago Bulls insider K.C. Johnson cites that people around the league should keep tabs on Zach LaVine or DeMar DeRozan, who could be on his way to Rip City to play alongside Lillard.
NBA Rumors: Bulls Could Trade Zach LaVine Or DeMar DeRozan For No. 3 Pick
(Transcript via NBC Sports)
“After the Trail Blazers jumped from the fifth to third pick at Tuesday’s draft lottery, multiple outlets reported that Portland will explore the market for that pick in an attempt to land a big splash for Damian Lillard. Would the Bulls instead engage in talks for that pick, which unequivocally would necessitate the inclusion of LaVine or, alternatively, DeMar DeRozan?
One league source told NBC Sports Chicago that if the Trail Blazers went this route, they would be focused on more defensive-minded, two-way players. Lillard does have strong relationships with both LaVine and DeRozan, the former of whom he played with at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. So stay tuned.”
The Bulls don’t know when or if Lonzo Ball will be able to come back, so getting Scoot Henderson makes sense, especially considering they don’t even have a first-round pick this season.