The Portland Trail Blazers’ plans for the future are becoming a little bit clearer as the 2023 NBA Draft approaches. According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the Blazers are considering making an offer for Miami Heat’s All-Star center Bam Adebayo.
The Blazers currently hold a No. 3 selection in the upcoming draft, and there were lots of speculation about what they’ll do with the pick. One option was to select one of the highly-rated prospects like Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller, while the second was to trade the pick and get a star player to pair with Damian Lillard.
The interest in Adebayo signals that the Trail Blazers will focus on the present and not the future. However, pulling off this kind of trade seems quite challenging. While the No. 3 pick and one of the Blazers’ young players like Shaedon Sharpe and Anfernee Simons would be enticing for other teams, the Heat might be unmoved by it.
Adebayo embodies “Heat culture” like a few others while also being a hard worker, an excellent defender, and a player who can have bursts on offense. Reportedly, Miami is not interested in moving Adebayo under any circumstances and instead is looking for ways to continue building on their 2023 NBA Finals appearance.
Fischer also mentions several other players that the Blazers might try to get with a package centered on the No. 3 pick. The list includes Minnesota Timberwolves Karl-Anthony Towns and LA Clippers’ Paul George.
