The Blazers appear to have no shortage of suitors when it comes to a possible Damian Lillard trade, much to the likely dismay of the Heat.
While Miami remains the perceived frontrunner to land Lillard, largely due to his preference to land in South Beach, the latest round of teams to show interest in his services makes for an intriguing mix. As Chris Haynes of Turner Sports reported on the ‘#thisleague UNCUT’ podcast with NBA reporter Marc Stein, four teams (aside from the Heat) already have reached out to Portland in an effort to gauge what it would take to acquire Lillard.
“The Clippers … the Minnesota Timberwolves, the New Orleans Pelicans, the Boston Celtics, those are the teams off the top of my head—I’m pretty sure there were more—those are the teams off the top of my head that called out to see what it would take [for Lillard],” Haynes stated.
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Haynes revealed that the Timberwolves were essentially eliminated from the chase by an unwillingness to include big man Karl-Anthony Towns in a potential deal. In turn, the Clippers are an “unlikely” option, having turned their attention to a possible trade for 76ers guard James Harden, per Haynes.
Haynes strongly stated that for Lillard, the focus remains on Miami. It doesn’t appear likely that the Blazers star will approve of a trade to a team other than the Heat, at least as things currently stand. Although Lillard does not have a no-trade clause in his contract, it’s logical to assume a trade partner would want his endorsement before engaging in a possible deal.
