The Most Important Trade in Blazers Franchise History

The Portland Trail Blazers have made many trades since their inception in 1970, but one stands out above the rest and still affects the franchise to this day.

Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard is fouled while shooting by Brooklyn Nets power forward Nic Claxton. | USA TODAY Sports

On March 15, 2012, the Portland Trail Blazers traded Gerald Wallace to the New Jersey Nets for Sean Williams and Mehmet Okur. It didn't seem like a massive deal at the time, but the first-round pick the Blazers also received in the deal emerged as one of the biggest assets in NBA history.

Just a few months later, Portland turned that first-round pick into Weber State point guard Damian Lillard, who has become the Blazers' all-time leading scorer. The trade has set the Blazers on their path for the past 14+ years.

Looking Back on the Damian Lillard Trade

Lillard led the Blazers to the playoffs in eight of his 11 seasons with the Blazers, including a trip to the second round in 2014 and 2016, along with a Western Conference Finals visit in 2019, where they lost to Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.

While Lillard hasn't built the greatest Blazers era, he has been arguably the best player in franchise history. Lillard is the franchise leader in points (19,376), 3-point field goals, free throws and is ranked second all time in assists (5,131).

The trade has already given the Blazers so much, but with Lillard returning to Portland, there's more to the story that has yet to be written.

How the Lillard Trade Affects the Blazers Today and the Future

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard competes in the three point contest. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In 2023, Lillard requested to be traded by the Blazers after they fell out of contention for a title. He was sent to the Milwaukee Bucks to team up with Giannis Antetokounmpo. The deal gave the Blazers Toumani Camara, who has started 160 games for the team over the last two seasons.

On top of that, it led the Blazers to Jrue Holiday, who was dealt to the Boston Celtics later that offseason for Malcolm Brogdon, who became the primary piece traded to the Washington Wizards for Deni Avdija in 2024.

Avdija was the leading scorer for the Blazers in 2025-26 and made the All-Star team for the first time in his career. Without Lillard, the Blazers wouldn't have two of their long-term starters.

Lillard built so much value in his 11 years with the Blazers that Portland also received the right to swap first-round picks with the Bucks in 2028 and 2030. After Giannis was traded to the Miami Heat this offseason, those pick swaps are going to be incredibly valuable. They could continue to grow what the Blazers have going for many years to come.