Ever since the Portland Trail Blazers won the third overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, their fans have been wrangling back and forth over the proper course of action. Players like Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller on rookie-scale contracts offer huge talent at a small price, near-perfect building blocks for a franchise in transition. But All-NBA guard Damian Lillard will be 33 when the new season starts. He needs help now, not four years down the road, let alone in a rookie’s prime.
This week Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic summarized the conundrum clearly and extensively [subscription required].