With trade talks involving Damian Lillard reportedly intensifying as of late, the long-awaited blockbuster deal for the Trail Blazers star may finally be close to happening, according to ESPN NBA insider Marc Spears.
Appearing on Monday’s NBA Today, Spears dropped a seismic update regarding Lillard, stating several general managers around the league expect the seven-time All-Star will be traded by NBA media day on Oct. 2.
“I also hear from those same GMs that they don’t expect Dame to end up being in Portland on Media Day on Monday," Spears told NBA Today host Malika Andrews. "They think he’ll be gone."
There is an expectation that Dame Lillard will be out of Portland by media day, NBA GMs have told @MarcJSpears 😳 pic.twitter.com/um6QRrXg8g
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) September 25, 2023
While Spears didn’t mention a possible destination, his comment came during a segment discussing the idea of Lillard landing with the Raptors. Earlier in the day, a report from Sportsnet’s Michael Grange noted “progress has been made” on a move, with Toronto described as being “very much in the mix” for Lillard.
Lillard has long preferred a trade to the Heat. But with Miami reportedly still out on a deal, it’ll be fascinating to see if Spears’s declaration comes true as the point guard’s future continues to hang in the balance.
Considering next Monday’s media day will mark four months since his trade request, Lillard could finally find himself out of Portland after 11 years. Interestingly, though, Spears’s report contradicts a Friday update from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reported “no deal was imminent” despite the Blazers “behaving like a team that wants to get a deal done.”
