NBA rumors: Earlier this summer, Damian Lillard named the Miami Heat and the Brooklyn Nets as his preferred destinations if he were ever to leave the Portland Trail Blazers. Things escalated quickly and Dame ended up demanding a trade away from Portland, while also singling out Miami as his preferred destination.
In spite of this development, however, multiple teams are still doing their due diligence on the seven-time All-Star, which in truth, isn’t surprising at all considering how they might just have a chance at landing a generational talent.
NBA Rumors: Damian Lillard Trade To Sixers, Pelicans, Thunder Floated
Dan Favale of Bleacher Report has come up with a list of five teams he believes Lillard could end up with. Naturally, the Heat and the Nets sit atop his list. However, Favale has also floated the idea of Dame joining either the Philadelphia 76ers, the Oklahoma City Thunder, or the New Orleans Pelicans.
Dame to the Sixers is not new. With James Harden wanting out and trade rumors heating up, there has been some talk of a potential superstar swap between Philly and Portland. In this scenario, Harden heads to the Blazers — along with a few more assets, of course — while Lillard gets a chance to play alongside reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid in Philadelphia.
The OKC Thunder have a ton of future assets on their hands at the moment. This could entice the Blazers to agree on a deal that would net them a handful of future first-round picks in exchange for Lillard. Dame wants to win a championship, though, so it would be a hard sell that he could do this alongside the Thunder’s very promising yet extremely young core.
Favale also floated the idea of a Damiam Lillard-CJ McCollum reunion with the Pelicans. Although not at the same level as OKC, the Pels could also muster up a trade package that will give a rebuilding Portland side the future assets they require. A Big 3 of Dame, Brandon Ingram, and Zion Williamson would be amazing, and with McCollum, Herb Jones, and Jonas Valanciunas also in the mix, the Pelicans could have themselves a championship contender.
NBA Rumors: How About The Bucks?
A Giannis Antetokounmpo-Damian Lillard pairing is undeniably mouth-watering. However, it does not seem like Dame has a clear path to the Milwaukee Bucks.
You have to note that some of the proposed trade scenarios above were already a tad outlandish, but the author still opted not to include the Bucks as a potential landing spot for Lillard. This only goes to show that the odds of the former Rookie of the Year ending up in Milwaukee are slim to none. The Bucks simply do not have enough assets to meet Portland’s sky-high asking price, which means that as much as the fans would love to see Dame light it up alongside Giannis, it’s simply nothing more than a pipe dream.
For More Wisconsin Sports:
Follow me on Twitter at @PaoloSongcoNBA, and follow us @WiSportsHeroics. Also, check out our Merchandise Here! Get 20% off with the code “WSH.” You can also reach out to Paolo Songco via email at pao.songco@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Wisconsin sports, click here! Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Brewers, Milwaukee Bucks, Wisconsin Badgers.
