Damian Lillard trade rumours are heating back up again

We haven't heard any news about any Damian Lillard trade in a long while. As NBA training camp and the NBA preseason approaches, eager fans want to know where Lillard will end up playing. Luckily, some exciting news has been developing as of late. ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski provided an update on a potential Damian Lillard trade from the Portland Trail Blazers:

Not only that, but Greg Sylvander, a Heat Insider and analyst, backed up Adrian Wojnarowski's claim, specifying that the Miami Heat and the Portland Trail Blazers have made some progress in the last 2–3 days.

This is great news for Damian Lillard, as his trade request from the Portland Trail Blazers went public back on July 1st. He has had a lot of individual success in Portland, being considered one of the top-scoring guards and shooters in the league. However, his time there hasn't amounted to much team success. During his time in Portland, he's only made the Western Conference Finals once, back in 2019, where they were swept by the Golden State Warriors. On top of that, in the last two seasons, the Portland Trail Blazers haven't made the playoffs. Dame desperately wants to be a part of a winning team and chase that elusive NBA championship.


The Portland Trail Blazers have clearly entered a rebuilding stage and want to acquire as many assets as they possibly can. They have some promising young talent including Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, and the 3rd overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft Scoot Henderson. They're hoping to create a young roster that can develop together and become a playoff contender in the future.

Dame has clearly stated his interest in playing with Miami, however, there are plenty of other teams that could fit the «title contender» moniker that Lillard wants and have the assets the Trailblazers desire. The Philadelphia 76ers, the New Orleans Pelicans and the New York Knicks are just a few that come to mind. Regardless, whoever makes the trade will have their work cut out for them. Deals such as the trades for Rudy Gobert and Kevin Durant are probably what the Trailblazers will be basing a Lillard move on. As Woj mentioned, it's more than likely that a trade for Damian Lillard would need to involve multiple teams so that Portland feels they got a good enough return. Any team that ends up with Dame will end up the NBA title favourites considering his talent and the calibre of player he is.

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