Chris Mannix: “Let’s say OKC is gangbuster to start the season. They win 60% of their games through January and they’re sitting 3rd or 4th in the Western Conference. What’s to stop Sam Presti from saying ‘Let’s go get Damian Lillard’?”

Source: https://streamable.com/zpuakg

#Transcript:

> Imma throw a scenario out there, one that is fictional but could be rooted in reality if we look ahead a few months. Let’s say Oklahoma City is gangbusters to start the season. Let’s say they win like 60-something percent of their games through January where they’re sitting in the third or fourth seed in the Western Conference– which is not outrageous because, organically they’re going to grow.

> Chet Holmgren is gonna be really good. Lot of good players in Oklahoma City. Let’s say they’re sitting there and– Oklahoma City knows they can’t pay all these guys on their roster. They’ve got a surplus of young talent. They’ve got a surplus of draft picks. What’s to stop Sam Presti from saying, “You know what? Damian Lillard’s got 3.5 years left on his deal? Let’s go get him! Let’s put Lillard in a backcourt with Shai and with Lu Dort as the three man and let’s see how that works.”

> I think that’d be pretty damn good. Personally, I think Shai can defend two guards. Lu Dort is strong enough to defend threes and fours when he has to. You know, if you’re Portland, you’ve got to be thinking about that scenario or something like that in the next three or four months. Not like “Let’s get Lillard off the roster and take whatever Miami’s going to give.”

#Mock Trade:

**Oklahoma City receives:**

Damian Lillard

**Portland receives:**

– Cason Wallace
– Ousmane Dieng
– Aleksej Pokusevski
– Kenrich Williams
– Davis Bertans
– 2024 1st via HOU
– 2024 1st via LAC
– 2025 1st via MIA
– 2027 1st via DEN
– 3-4 2nd round picks

**Is this better than the rumored Miami package?**

**How far could a starting lineup of Damian Lillard, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren go next season?**