The Damian Lillard era in Portland is set to come to an end after 11 years as the superstar has officially requested a trade. The news comes at a time when trade rumors surrounding Lillard were already heating up.
Over a week prior to Lillard's request, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported that, ahead of the draft, teams were "preparing their offers" for Lillard. Why? The Trail Blazers planned to use their No. 3 pick instead of trading it and Lillard has made it clear that he doesn't want to be part of "a youth movement with a young player in a rebuild."
"(Teams) are already getting ready waiting for the moment to happen," said Windhorst. "Whether Lillard makes the move or the Blazers make the move, nobody seems like they want to be the fall guy here. Lillard doesn't want to look like the bad guy. The Blazers still are hoping to convince him to stay, but we'll see how long they continue with that position."
Despite the interest from rival teams, the Blazers initially remained committed to building around Lillard, with general manager Joe Cronin issuing an optimistic statement after meeting with Lillard.
Things took a turn with Lillard making the move to request a trade, as both sides are now set to move on. Lillard is in his early 30s, but he's a seven-time All-Star who is coming off of a career year that saw him average 32.2 points and 7.3 assists per game. Even with over $200 million remaining on his contract, there are a number of teams around that league that would likely be interested in trading for him.
Who could those teams be? Let's take a look at the ones that make the most sense.
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Damian Lillard trade destinations
Miami Heat
It doesn't sound like Lillard would mind a move to South Beach.
"Miami obviously," Lillard responded when asked by Showtime's Brian Custer which of the Heat, Knicks or Nets he'd feel the best about being traded to. "Miami is the obvious one, and Bam [Adebayo] is my dog. Bam is my dog for real. I mean, I think Miami is the obvious one."
The Heat would have a hard time putting together a trade for Lillard that doesn't include Jimmy Butler or Adebayo, but if they could pull it off, the three of them would make for a dynamic trio. (The Sporting News' Steph Noh detailed what a potential Heat trade could look like here.) Butler and Adebayo have already made it to the Finals twice together, and Lillard would add a dimension neither of those teams had with the scoring and shooting he offers at the point guard position.
It helps that Lillard has experience playing with Adebayo — the two won a gold medal together in the 2020 Olympics. Butler seems to want Lillard as well. The Athletic's David Aldridge recently reported that Butler is a "central part" of the Heat's effort to recruit Lillard.
According to Charania, the Blazers have been informed that Lillard's specific preference is a trade to the Heat.
Brooklyn Nets
In the same interview with Custer, Lillard said the Nets are the "other obvious" team he'd have interest in because of his ties with Mikal Bridges. He added that he thinks both the Heat and Nets have "capable rosters."
The Nets would have more assets to pursue Lillard than the Heat. The Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant trades helped them restock their draft picks, they could easily match salary and they have some interesting players they could offer the Trail Blazers depending on what they're looking for, from Spencer Dinwiddie and Nicolas Claxton to Ben Simmons.
Dinwiddie has one more year remaining on his contract, so he would help the Trail Blazers clear their books. Simmons is coming off the worst season of his career, but he'd be a buy-low option for Portland.
Acquiring Lillard alone might not push the Nets to the same level as the Heat, Celtics, Bucks and 76ers in the Eastern Conference, but they might still have enough to build a roster around him and Bridges that's capable of competing.
According to Turner Sports' Chris Haynes, Brooklyn is Lillard's other preferred destination.
Toronto Raptors
Never rule out the Raptors.
Team president Masai Ujiri has shown in the past that he's not afraid to take a big swing. It's still unclear which direction the Raptors are going to take following a season in which they failed to make the playoffs, but trading for Lillard would certainly be a win-now move that could put them in a position to compete for another title.
The Raptors have a number of picks they could offer, but it could come down to the availability of Scottie Barnes, who would make a lot of sense for a rebuilding team. If Barnes continues to be off the table, then it's hard to imagine the Raptors being a realistic option for Lillard.
A team featuring something along the lines of Lillard, Pascal Siakam, O.G. Anunoby and Jakob Poeltl would certainly pack a punch.
New York Knicks
The Knicks are going to be an option for any star who becomes available in the near future. Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes and Obi Toppin are young enough to fit on any rebuilding team, and they are loaded with future draft picks.
The question is if the Knicks think Lillard is the star worth going all-in on, especially now that they have Jalen Brunson, an All-Star caliber point guard who averaged 27.8 points per game in the 2023 NBA Playoffs. Good as Lillard still is, it wouldn't be a huge surprise if they ultimately decide to sit this one out.
