Blazers Can Become Thunder Killers Because of Damian Lillard and Deni Avdija Trades

The Portland Trail Blazers are the Oklahoma City Thunder's lone loss through the first 25 games of the season. Is what the Blazers have sustainable after picking up the season's best win, a 121-119 win at the Moda Center, at the beginning of November?

Rip City Project's Reese Kunz believes it is, because of the presence of Deni Avdija, acquired in a July 2024 swap with the Washington Wizards involving Malcolm Brogdon and Toumani Camara, who was part of the 2023 Damian Lillard trade.

Kunz believes 28 other teams should be replicating the Blazers' blueprint, even if the Thunder won both of their rematches that took place in late November.

"The good news for Portland is that they clearly are ahead of the curve when it comes to matching up with the NBA's juggernaut. Part of that win is attributed to a red-hot shooting night of 19-43 (44%) from downtown, but the Blazers also have a unique roster construction that seems to give the Thunder problems," Kunz wrote.

"Deni Avdija's positional size and physicality were a matchup nightmare for their guard-heavy lineup that likes to switch everything. In Portland's win, he even beat Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at his own game of annoyingly drawing fouls, going 15-of-16 from the charity stripe. This working formula goes far beyond Avdija, too. The Blazers have an All-Defensive wing in Toumani Camara to throw at SGA, who went an inefficient 10-of-26 from the field in that contest."

Blazers' Deni Avdija and Damian Lillard Trades Earn Joe Cronin Praise

A recent survey from The Athletic of NBA front office executives proved that Portland's group is well-respected. Joe Cronin and Co. were deemed to be a troupe "on the rise" because they landed Camara and Avdija.

"The Trail Blazers are in a cycle of constant change. Earlier this year, [franchise owner Jody] Allen agreed to sell the team to an investment group headed by Tom Dundon, who owns the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. In October the FBI arrested their head coach, Chauncey Billups, as part of its gambling investigation," The Athletic's staff wrote.

"Amid the noise, the Blazers have developed players. They insisted upon a gem in the trade that sent Damian Lillard out of town a few years ago, when they got the Suns to include second-round pick Toumani Camara, who’s now one of the league’s best defenders. And the Deni Avdija trade could end up a franchise-changer with Avdija emerging as an All-Star candidate."

In less than a year, the Blazers built a foundation by trading away a point guard who retired a year later for a do-it-all wing on an insanely cheap deal in the modern NBA, dealing the franchise's modern legend and re-signing him two years later, and drafting a starting-caliber center in Donovan Clingan. We'll see if they found a second one this past June by drafting Yang Hansen.

Cronin and Co. will have truly put the league on notice if Portland is able to sustain a season's worth of OKC-killing play and win some postseason games to go with it.

Baby steps, though. Before they get there, they'll have to find a permanent head coaching option and continue developing their youth, all while keeping their veteran talent bought in for when the team is ready for that leap.

If/when they get there, they can look back and see that it all started with those Lillard and Avdija trades.