THIS DAY IN HISTORY.
On April 23, 2019, Damian Lillard knocked down a deep 3-pointer at the buzzer to lift the Trail Blazers over OKC 🎯
He finished with 50 PTS in the series-clinching Round 1 win!
The Portland Trail Blazers making the NBA Playoffs should be the biggest story in all of sports
Portland has owed its pick with protections to Chicago for years dating back a 3-team trade back on August 8th, 2021 — the pick conveying now is good for the Bulls and GREAT for Portland. Due to the Stepien rule, the Blazers previously could NOT trade their own 1st thru the 2028 draft
On draft night in 2026, the Blazers will now finally be able to trade their own future 1sts again… but there’s a twist worth noting
Prior to the season, I recorded a video calling the Portland Trail Blazers the “Sleeping Giant” in the NBA (a video I made in 2024 about the Rockets who landed Durant that next Summer and the 76ers in 2023 who landed Paul George in ‘24 offseason)
The reason I called the Blazers a sleeping giant was their collection of assets from other teams:
- 2028 Swap Best with Bucks
- 2028 Magic 1st
- 2029 Most Favorable of Own/Bucks/Celtics
- 2029 3rd Most Favorable of Own/Bucks/Celtics
- 2030 Swap Best with Bucks
Now factor in that Portland could trade any of their OWN picks with these other assets (as long as they still follow Stepien rule) means they have at least 6 tradeable firsts but could also extend further swap options on their own/Bucks/Magic picks
They have by far the best collection of draft capital to offer this offseason and are, like I pointed out before the season, the biggest dark horse in the NBA
Loved the Tommy Lloyd shoutout for the late Lute Olson. He built this whole @ArizonaMBB culture when I was still going to UA. Nice of Tommy to recognise that. BearDown!!