Blazers’ Damian Lillard lists Heat, Nets as top destinations in hypothetical trade

Damian Lillard has remained dependable to the Trail Blazers all the way through his profession, and he needs to stay in Portland as lengthy as the group stays dedicated to successful in the existing. But, if he have been to be traded over the offseason in order to jumpstart a rebuild, he has a few most well-liked destinations in thoughts. 

When requested a few hypothetical trade all the way through an look on Showtime’s The Last Stand with Brian Custer, Lillard indexed Miami and Brooklyn as two touchdown spots that he can be cool with, thank you in large part to the presence of avid gamers already on the ones rosters. 

“Miami obviously,” Lillard stated. “Miami is the obvious one. Bam [Adebayo] is my dog. Bam is my dog for real. But I mean I think Miami is the obvious one. Brooklyn is another obvious one because Mikal Bridges is my dog too. I mean, both have capable rosters.”

You can see Lillard’s feedback at the subject underneath: 

Lillard has made it transparent over and over again through the years that his first selection can be to play his whole profession with the Blazers, and that hasn’t modified. 

“I want to have an opportunity to win in Portland…We got an opportunity, asset-wise, to build a team that can compete,” Lillard stated. “If we can’t do that, then, you know, obviously, like I’ve said, you know, for months now, like then this is a separate conversation that we would have to have.”

Portland possesses the 3rd total pick out in the approaching 2023 NBA Draft, and they are able to pursue two other paths. They can glance to trade the pick out to procure established ability in order to construct the roster up round Lillard, or they might cross in the other way — hit the restart button, stay the pick out, and trade Lillard for younger avid gamers and/or long term selections and embody a rebuild. 

Between now and draft day (June 22), the Blazers must come to a decision which route they wish to cross in. If it is the latter, then we can have already noticed Lillard play his remaining sport in a Portland uniform.