3 players the Trail Blazers should trade for to help Damian Lillard

1. Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards

Bradley Beal has never gone particularly over the top with his discontent in D.C., nor has he made a demand to be traded to a contender. But that won’t stop the trade rumors that go back years. The Washington Wizards deciding to part ways with head coach Scott Brooks has to change the equation. The direction they go for a new coach — and how it’s perceived on the “win-now” or “rebuild” scale — will be telling. Beal may be spurred to reconsider his future, while the Wizards may shift their general stance and be willing to move him.

Beal surprisingly signed a contract extension with the Wizards in 2019. But that only has him guaranteed under contract through next season, with a player option for 2022-23. The Wizards obviously want to sign him to another extension, since he is eligible to do it, but it can’t be done until Oct. 17 (two years since his last deal). Per ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the new deal can be worth up to $181.5 million over four years.

For Portland, Beal would be a clear upgrade over McCollum. A pairing with Lillard would be the NBA’s best backcourt. A deal would actually come together easily if the Blazers put in multiple draft picks on top of this potential player swap.