Portland Trail Blazers’ perfect move in 2025 NBA offseason

If Damian Lillard had a choice, he never would have requested a trade from the Blazers in 2023. Instead, he would have stuck to his gut, staying loyal with the franchise he spent the first 11 seasons of his career with.

However, it was clear that the Blazers, in 2023, were so far off from a contending team in the West that Lillard, who was 33 back then, may not have gotten a chance to compete for a title had he stayed. The prospect of teaming up with Jimmy Butler on the Miami Heat proved to be too enticing, leading to Lillard’s bombshell trade request.

Alas, Lillard learned that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Not only did he not get his wish of a trade to the Heat, he also couldn’t achieve much playoff success with his new ballclub, the Milwaukee Bucks. The veteran star point guard could only muster all of two first-round exits in his two seasons with the Bucks, and then came the big blow — a torn Achilles that would keep him out for the entirety of the 2025-26 season.

Lillard appeared to be stuck. After all, he had little to no trade value seeing as he still had two years left on his supermax contract, and he cannot suit up until 2026 at the earliest. But then the Bucks did Lillard a solid, freeing him from his contract with a waive-and-stretch maneuver, allowing him to sign with whichever team he so pleases.

And with that freedom, Lillard was only going to make one decision, and that is to return to the place he calls home. The Blazers picked him up on a three-year, $42 million deal and gave him a no-trade clause — giving him plenty of security for the next few years as he rehabs from injury.

Lillard may not be available for the entire next season, but he should be back in 2026. And for an average of $14 million a year, the upside on Lillard was just too enticing to pass up on. While Achilles injuries are notoriously difficult to come back from, especially for an older player, Lillard’s track record is just too good to ignore.

There might be some conspiracies being floated around that the Blazers simply brought back Lillard to up the value of the franchise and make it appealing to prospective buyers. But this move makes sense both on and off the court. The Blazers are gambling on Lillard’s ability to return to form after his injury recovery, and even with him not playing, he can act as a de facto assistant coach and a mentor for young point guard Scoot Henderson.

The Blazers are also showing players that they will take care of their own, giving Lillard an opportunity to rehab at home. And all is right in the world, now that Lillard is back in Portland where he belongs.

Jrue Holiday is the quintessential winning player

It’s also important to note that Jrue Holiday was one of the main pieces the Blazers acquired in the Lillard trade, and they managed to trade him to the Boston Celtics for two first-round picks in 2023. And then, two years later, the Blazers acquired him for Anfernee Simons and two second-rounders.

Nevertheless, Holiday is a piece every team with winning aspirations would want on the roster. He brings professionalism, hard-nosed defense, and locker-room leadership to every team he plays for, and they’re better off for it. He’s also acted as the missing piece for teams before, elevating the Bucks to championship status in 2021 and then doing the same for the Celtics in 2024.

Of course, it’s a long shot for the Blazers to compete for a title in 2026. But making the playoffs is a legitimate goal for the franchise, and Holiday’s defense and playmaking synergizes well with the personnel Portland already has. They are a legitimate threat to finish in top-five in defensive rating next season, with Holiday, Deni Avdija, and Toumani Camara comprising such a suffocating defensive core.

The addition of Holiday also works in perfect symphony with the signing of Lillard. With Lillard not being available on the court next season, Holiday can fill that starting point guard role, leading the team from the front next season as a more defense-oriented piece. And then next season, the Blazers can trot out a fire and ice type combo, with Lillard being the offensive maestro and Holiday being the defensive anchor.

Donovan Clingan, it’s your time to shine

It looked like the Blazers were going to enter the 2025-26 season with another center logjam on their hands. But then they bought out Deandre Ayton, freeing up room for their center quartet of Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams III, 2025 first-round pick Yang Hansen, and stretch center Duop Reath to do damage.

Billups will decide who to start at center once training camp is over, but it looks like Clingan will have the inside crack at the role. In 37 games as a starter last season, Clingan averaged 7.9 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per contest. If he manages to improve his conditioning and avoid foul trouble, he could be in for a monster sophomore campaign.