Report: Blazers look to move Holiday as well after completing Lillard trade
Published
According to reports, the Portland Trail Blazers aren't quite done yet.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski indicates that after completing a franchise-altering deal to send superstar point guard Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for guard Jrue Holiday, centre Deandre Ayton, forward Toumani Camara and a collection of picks, the Blazers are still looking to move Holiday to a competing team.
Lillard has been the cornerstone of the Trail Blazers franchise since he was drafted sixth overall in the 2012 NBA Draft. He led the team to eight consecutive playoff appearances from 2013 - 2021, but the team has failed to qualify each of the last two seasons.
This led to speculation the past couple off-seasons that Lillard would become the latest NBA superstar to ask for a trade, though the Oakland native continued to pledge his loyalty to the Blazers franchise. However, Lillard finally changed his tune after the 2023 draft and asked for a ticket out of town as free agency opened on July 1.
With this trade completed, the Blazers are seemingly headed for a full-on rebuild, and veteran role players like Holiday are more valuable for teams looking to compete for an NBA Championship.
Portland will shift its focus to the development of their young guards, including Shaedon Sharpe - the seventh overall pick in last year's draft - and Scoot Henderson, who was chosen third overall in this summer's draft.