Bleacher Report pitches a wild trade where the Utah Jazz land Damian Lillard

Bleacher Report seriously stretches by suggesting the Utah Jazz could land Damian Lillard.

We try to keep an even keel when it comes to trade suggestions, suggesting trades that are possible to a degree. Not everyone follows that line of thought, however, as one Bleacher Report writer, Zach Buckley, has suggested five trades that would be utter chaos for the NBA to deal with. Considering the Utah Jazz made one of those trades last year by sending Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers, it’s not so far-fetched, but far-fetched enough to scoff at.

Still, Buckley decided to involve the Utah Jazz in his fantasy pitch, a pitch that would see the Jazz acquire Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers, for a package that I would say is worse than the one the Miami Heat are offering.

In this trade, the Jazz gets Lillard, while the Trail Blazers get Collin Sexton, Keyonte George, Talen Horton-Tucker, Kelly Olynyk, and a ’25 and ’27 first-round pick. Truly a terrible return for the Blazers. Namely, because they already have all the guards they could need. Why add three more?

"Utah Jazz Receive: Damian LillardPortland Trail Blazers Receive: Collin Sexton, Keyonte George, Talen Horton-Tucker, Kelly Olynyk, 2025 first-round pick (via CLE) and 2027 first-round pick (top-four protected, via LAL)"

Considering the reason the Heat deal isn’t attractive to the Blazers is that they don’t want Tyler Herro due to their abundance of guards. So the fix for Buckley is to add even more guards to the trade?

Now, replace Sexton and George with Brice Sensabaugh and Taylor Hendricks, and sure, that makes way more sense for the Blazers.

As for the Jazz, maybe five years ago they should’ve gone all-in on Lillard, but the league has overhyped the importance of a superstar. If they don’t have a team around them, they’re not going to win. So why bother trading for Lillard when you know you have to give up so much depth and future pieces to get him?

Especially when he’s closer to retiring than not.

This is a silly trade and should never be made in reality.