The Damian Lillard era of the Portland Trail Blazers may end after this season, with the team potentially looking at a future without their superstar guard.

Although Lillard wants to retire with the Blazers and has no intention to play anywhere else, the writing seems to be on the wall that he can’t win in Portland, and a change may be needed.

According to Nick Wright of Fox Sports, the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers should be the two NBA teams on the phones this summer trying to acquire Lillard in a blockbuster trade.

Dame x Embiid? Dame x Tatum?

— @getnickwright proposes 2 trades for Damian Lillard to leave Portland: pic.twitter.com/YJNpIiywi4

— What’s Wright? with Nick Wright (@WhatsWrightShow) March 30, 2023

Wright could be on to something with this take about the Celtics and 76ers, as both teams are incredibly talented but have yet to put it together in the postseason with their superstars in their primes.

The Celtics seem to be on the cusp of a championship, with the team coming into this season off an NBA Finals run and Jayson Tatum looking like he’ll be an MVP candidate in the coming years.

Philadelphia is intriguing because Wright pointed out that Lillard can stretch the defense and give Joel Embiid room to work in the paint.

The James Harden element makes the 76ers much more compelling.

With Lillard, Harden and Embiid, Philadelphia would likely be favorites to win it all, if not at the very least to win the Eastern Conference next season.

At this point, something has to give, or it will be more of the same for Portland, with Lillard left with a legacy of being a dynamic scorer, and that’s about it.

The post Nick Wright Says 2 Teams Should Be Calling About Damian Lillard appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source link

The Dallas Mavericks have lost eight of their last 11 games and fell to 9-14 with Kyrie Irving on the team after a 116-108 to the Philadelphia 76ers. While Kyrie has been the talk and attributed reason for the Mavs struggles, Nick Wright says he cannot put all the blame on the point guard. Watch as he discusses how much blame Luka Dončić deserves, including the organization. Nick and Damonza then dive into the recent rise of players asking fans to be ejected of arenas.



Source link

The New York Giants have a promising team, and they’re coming off a season in which they started 6-1 and upset the 13-4 Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs.

But they’re far from a finished product.

They need a good amount of help at the wide receiver position, not only to improve a passing offense that was 26th in yards and 24th in touchdowns last season, but to also help quarterback Daniel Jones develop.

The 25th pick in next month’s draft could be New York’s ticket to getting that type of help, and Jordan Raanan, who covers the team for ESPN, says the team has met with a number of WR prospects.

Giants now had dinners with Johnston, BC’s Zay Flowers and Ohio State’s Jaxson Smith-Njigba before their Pro Days. USC’s Jordan Addison said last week they were the most recent team he’s heard from.

Follow the crumbs. Giants pick 25th overall in the first round.

— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) March 30, 2023

In 2022, the Giants’ most productive receiver was Darius Slayton, who put up 724 yards and two touchdowns, numbers that aren’t too impressive.

Quentin Johnston, who played for Texas Christian University, had 1,069 yards and six touchdowns last season as a junior.

Boston College’s Zay Flowers had 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2022, while Jordan Addison, who transferred to the University of Southern California for the 2022 campaign, registered 875 yards and eight scores a year after posting 1,593 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who played for Ohio State University, was limited to just three games last season because of a hamstring injury, but in 2021 he gained 1,606 yards and scored nine touchdowns.

Outside of the draft, the Giants have acquired tight end Darren Waller, who will give Jones a proven option, but he and his team will need a lot more help in order to have a real shot at the Super Bowl.

The post Giants Insider Highlights All The WR Draft Connections appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source link