Superstar Damian Lillard has requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers, but his exit from the team has been complicated by the fact that his preferred destination, the Miami Heat, doesn’t have the assets necessary to land him.

It was recently reported that the Boston Celtics are looking to join the chase for Damian Lillard, and perhaps they could land him through a multi-team deal. In this article, we explore a five-team trade construction that sends Lillard to the Boston Celtics and other stars such as James Harden to new destinations.

Boston Celtics Receive: Damian Lillard

Chicago Bulls Receive: Jaylen Brown

New Orleans Pelicans Receive: James Harden

Philadelphia 76ers Receive: DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso

Portland Trail Blazers Receive: CJ McCollum, Robert Williams, Dyson Daniels, 2024 First-Round Pick (BOS), 2024 First-Round Pick (NOP), 2026 First-Round Pick (BOS), 2030 First-Round Pick (CHI)

There are definitely a lot of moving parts in this deal, but each team stands to gain from this five-team trade. Here is why the five franchises should consider making a deal with a similar framework.

The Celtics Land A Top-Tier Point Guard

This deal for the Boston Celtics is centered around doing one thing: pairing Jayson Tatum and Damian Lillard. Though Jaylen Brown is a good player, most people would agree that Lillard is better, and is a better positional fit with Jayson Tatum. Many have previously suggested that Brown and Tatum’s s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 sets overlap, and perhaps adding Damian Lillard would lead to a more balanced roster.

Damian Lillard averaged 32.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 7.3 APG in the 2022-23 regular season. He also shot 37.1% from the 3PT range on 11.3 attempts a game, and there’s no doubt that he has immense scoring gravity. His presence on the court will definitely make things easier for Jayson Tatum, as Lillard can run the offense while also being the secondary scorer. That will allow Jayson Tatum to focus on being a two-way monster, and allow him to dominate even more on the court.

In this multi-team deal, the Boston Celtics would send out Jaylen Brown, Robert Williams, and two first-round picks to get Damian Lillard. That is a fair price for a superstar of Lillard’s caliber, especially since he is on a long-term deal.

The Chicago Bulls Pair An Elite Star With Zach LaVine

The Chicago Bulls are a franchise that has failed to be competitive this year, losing in the play-in tournament to the Miami Heat. Perhaps landing Jaylen Brown would allow them to be competitive once again, and he would give them another elite wing scorer alongside Zach LaVine. In theory, a duo of Brown and LaVine is enough to make the playoffs and be competitive, especially with the right roster construction around them.

This past season, Jaylen Brown averaged 26.6 PPG, 6.9 RPG, and 3.5 APG for the Boston Celtics. He definitely has No. 1 potential, and it would be interesting to see him without Jayson Tatum on his own team. On the Chicago Bulls, Jaylen Brown could unlock his full potential, and he would have a solid core around him that would allow him to be the best version of himself.

In this trade scenario, the Chicago Bulls would have to send out DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso, and a first-round pick to land Jaylen Brown on an expiring contract. The deal would likely be done if the Bulls get assurances that he will sign a long-term contract. The risk is worth taking on a player of Jaylen Brown’s talent even if he doesn’t sign a long-term deal, but the fact that Chicago is a big market and that Brown would be the undisputed best player on the team would absolutely appeal to him.

The New Orleans Pelicans Get A Floor General

One of the things that the New Orleans Pelicans have lacked over the last few seasons is a true floor general. Though both Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson are point forward, adding a player like James Harden, who can take some of the playmaking load off of them, could be appealing. Ingram and Williamson could also compensate for Harden’s declining scoring ability, and Harden should be a perfect fit in New Orleans as a No. 3 option.

James Harden had a solid 2022-23 season with the Philadelphia 76ers, putting up 21.0 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 10.7 APG while shooting 38.5% from 3PT range. He is the perfect player to pair with two high-level scorers, and from a basketball standpoint, the Pelicans seem like a perfect fit.

To get James Harden, the New Orleans Pelicans would have to move CJ McCollum, Dyson Daniels, and a first-round pick to the Portland Trail Blazers for facilitating this deal. That is a fair price to give up for a top-20 to top-25 player in the NBA, and this trade could make the Pelicans true contenders in the Western Conference.

Of course, as of right now, James Harden wants to go to the Los Angeles Clippers. But perhaps the New Orleans Pelicans can convince him to join them by selling him on the basketball fit between him and their stars.

The Philadelphia 76ers Get A Star For James Harden

If James Harden is dead-set on leaving the Philadelphia 76ers, the best course of action for them is to try and get a star-level player in return. This trade would allow them to bring back a player that fits the bill in DeMar DeRozan, as well as a great veteran in Alex Caruso.

This past season, DeMar DeRozan averaged 24.5 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 5.1 APG for the Chicago Bulls while shooting 50.4% from the field. He is a midrange maestro and DeRozan’s s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 set will give the Philadelphia 76ers a good clutch-time option on the perimeter. Meanwhile, Alex Caruso will be a perfect defensive complement to Tyrese Maxey in the starting lineup, and he is well-known as one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. Getting those two players for James Harden’s expiring contract is a good proposition.

There is no doubt that this deal would allow the Philadelphia 76ers to remain competitive even with James Harden’s departure. They would have one of the best starting lineups in the Eastern Conference, and would even improve their defense with Caruso’s addition.

The Portland Trail Blazers Get A Huge Trade Package

The Portland Trail Blazers likely want a haul to trade Damian Lillard, and this trade package gives them that. They would get some young players to develop, as well as a multitude of first-round picks.

Robert Williams is the main draw of this package for the Portland Trail Blazers, and he is a mobile center who is elite at shot-blocking and rim-running. There’s no doubt that he can be the defensive anchor of the future for the team and gives them a better option than Jusuf Nurkic as the starting center.

Dyson Daniels was the No. 8 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, and he has already shown tremendous defensive ability with the New Orleans Pelicans. He is definitely a player the team could develop, and perhaps he can be the starting SF of the team in the future. The four first-round picks will give the Portland Trail Blazers more flexibility for the future, and overall, this package is the sort of acceptable return that the Trail Blazers would want for their franchise superstar. Taking on CJ McCollum’s contract would be tough, but perhaps he could be the leader the team needs to guide them into the next era of Trail Blazers basketball.

This Trade Could Be A Win For All The Teams Involved

There is no doubt that there are great basketball reasons for each team to do this trade. Every team either gains a star or plenty of assets, and it is likely that all five franchises would leave the table happy following this trade.

Of course, if this trade were to happen we wouldn’t know how it would impact the league until the following season. However, this trade is definitely one of those that has the potential to be absolutely league-shattering, and we’ll see whether these five teams can come together on something like this at some point in the future.