It's no surprise that Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard is attracting attention from a host of teams, per the latest NBA Rumors. This is his new list of surprise suitors.
This offseason, Damian Lillard only has his eyes on one NBA team, but many NBA teams are apparently looking his way.
The Portland Trail Blazers star put his franchise in a pickle when he demanded a trade to one and only one team: the Miami Heat. Technically, Portland doesn't have to honor Lillard's trade request, and the franchise has quite a few trade demands of its own, demands that the Heat may not be able to fulfill.
At this crossroad, the Trail Blazers could consider a three-team trade to keep Lillard happy. Or, they could simply do business with a different team altogether.
The Ringer's Michael Pina theorized a potential Damian Lillard trade to an under-the-radar suitor: the Toronto Raptors. Pina also mentioned a sizable list of teams that had reported interest in the veteran point guard:
There are other teams with reported interest out there—the Clippers, Jazz, Nets, Sixers, Spurs, and Celtics, to name a few—but there's one relatively under-the-radar suitor that makes as much sense as any other: the Raptors.
NBA Rumors: Damian Lillard draws interest from six other reported teams
The Celtics have already entered the chat, even if they're just lurking in the conversation.
According to Shams Charania, Lillard turned down the Celtics as well as the Clippers, and he would probably turn down the rest of those rumored suitors as well. The Jazz, Nets, Sixers, and Spurs each have their advantages in a potential trade with Portland ("quality" players, lots of draft capital) and may get to throw their hats in the ring. Lillard is just going to throw them right back: it's Miami or bust.
There is a glaring moral quandary in these wide-open Damian Lillard sweepstakes, and it's whether Portland will accommodate Lillard's preferences or position themselves for the most lucrative trade package possible.
As stated earlier, Lillard doesn't have a no-trade clause, so the Trail Blazers have the liberty of ignoring his demands, brushing off the fact that Lillard gave 12 years to the franchise, and picking the trade partner with the most to give. Then the question is, do these other teams really want to take on an "unhappy player"? Is it worth all the hassle?
