The Trail Blazers have paid plenty of attention to names like Kevin Durant, Rudy Gobert and the numerous other stars involved in blockbuster trades over recent years in the NBA. More specifically, they’ve kept an eye on the massive draft capital and other assets sent back in exchange for these names, and now it seems Portland wants in on that action as Damian Lillard trade talks swirl.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski broke down the situation on SportsCenter, and explained that the Blazers “imagine” a trade haul similar to returns the Nets got for Durant and the Jazz for Rudy Gobert.
"So what is incumbent on Portland now is to go out in the marketplace and find someone who will offer them more. That's what they're trying to do now. They see a player of Damian Lillard's stature, All-NBA player, 32 years old and they look at what the Nets got for Kevin Durant. They look at Rudy Gobert in Minnesota. They see those kinds of returns. That's what they imagine for Damian Lillard," Wojnarowski explained.
However, Woj did provide some bad news on that front, notably citing that the new CBA may impact this outlook and potential return for Lillard.
“… But this is a different day. A new collective bargaining agreement in place. It’s going to take some time for this marketplace to develop and to get a real sense of what is available for them out there. They’re certainly in no rush to do a deal with Miami. They would need a third team to take on Tyler Herro. I think it’s just going to take time,” Wojnarowski said.
It's hard to argue with the Blazers' side of things on this front. While Gobert was a top center in the league, the Timberwolves sent five players, including Walker Kessler, along with four first-round picks and a pick swap in exchange for Gobert. Lillard is just one year older than Gobert and has been one of the best players in the NBA since shortly after joining the league in 2012.
The type of return Portland is eyeing for Lillard may be fair, but it's also bad news for the Miami Heat, who haven't gained much traction in terms of convincing the Blazers this deal can get done without a third or fourth team, it seems.
