Damian Lillard hints on social media at player he wants Trail Blazers to trade for

The timing of the tweet is also highly relevant. The Trail Blazers have a crucial decision looming regarding the handling of the No. 3 overall pick. By most accounts, Lillard would prefer Portland to package the pick to acquire veteran win-now talent, such as Williamson. However, ESPN's Jonathan Givony reported Tuesday that the Trail Blazers plan to retain the pick, likely using it to select either Brandon Miller from Alabama or NBA G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson. 

On Sunday, the Ringer's Bill Simmons reported on his podcast that Williamson's tenure in New Orleans could be nearing its end. One source indicated to Simmons that Williamson will not be on the Pelicans roster come Thursday, insisting the Pelicans will trade the former No. 1 pick prior to the draft — or at least prior to the third pick. 

Williamson, 22, is young enough and talented enough to theoretically fit within both Portland's build-for-the-future approach as well as Lillard's win-now outlook. He also presents a far higher upside on the offensive end than the aforementioned Adebayo, who is a career 14.7 ppg scorer. Williamson, on the other hand, has averaged 26.7 ppg over his last 90 regular-season games and owns a career 60.5% field goal percentage.

Of course, the caveat to trading for Williamson is the availability risk. The Duke product has played only 114 games over his career, missing the entirety of the 2021-22 campaign. Still, the Trail Blazers would be wise to strike while Williamson's stock is low. Making a run at Williamson could secure a young cornerstone for the franchise to build around while also keeping Lillard happy and in Portland.