Now that the inevitable has happened—superstar guard Damian Lillard reaching the conclusion to request a trade from the Blazers—a clear question emerges: Which teams, in a parity-filled NBA, should go all in on trading for the seven-time All-NBA selection?
Here are the three that make the most sense in theory.
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Miami Heat
The Heat, who’ve long coveted Lillard, have to feel like they’re within striking distance of a title at this point. They reached the NBA Finals in 2020, lost in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals in ‘22 and then made it to the Finals again this past season as a miracle No. 8 seed before falling to the Nuggets.
Sure, they’re weaker at the moment, having watched a pair of stud role players, Gabe Vincent and then Max Strus, reportedly take deals that land them with the Lakers and Cavs, respectively. And Jimmy Butler isn’t getting any younger. But bringing in someone like Lillard—with Tyler Herro, 2023 first-rounder Jaime Jaquez and future first-round picks serving as the centerpieces of an offer—would be a dream scenario. Such a trade would give the occasionally sleepy Heat offense an enormous jolt on offense (not to mention spacing) while maintaining the core tenets of a rock-solid defense, with Butler and Bam Adebayo. Assuming it would be a 1:1 deal, with no other teams involved, the question worth considering is: What else would the Blazers want?
Philadelphia 76ers
Yes, at the beginning of the week James Harden was the guard being talked about in connection with the Sixers most. Would he opt out? And if he did, would that make it more likely that he’d end up with the Rockets, or that he’d return to Philadelphia on a longer deal?
Well, we have our answer now; somewhat incredibly. He opted in with the Sixers, but still wants out. Failing to get a long-term offer from the Sixers, Harden now reportedly wants to end up with the Clippers at the end of the day. So it leaves Philadelphia with the question of what to do at point guard. Some have floated the idea of making a play for Boston’s Malcolm Brogdon, who’s believed to be available after reportedly being offered as part of a proposed three-team deal to get Kristaps Porzingis.
But wouldn’t Lillard make far more sense if the situation is doable?
The reality suggests it is a possibility for the Sixers; particularly if they’re willing to deal 22-year-old star guard Tyrese Maxey. It is a tad more complicated than that, though: Lillard has spent 11 years with the Blazers, and has been nothing but professional during his time in Portland. The fan base and the franchise itself has great respect for him. If he’s made it known that Miami is his No. 1 preference—and he reportedly has said that to Blazers’ management—it might be a bit outside Philadelphia’s control to ultimately land him. The Sixers have pick swaps and other young assets to offer, but this might not be about that.
Los Angeles Clippers
Who knows how things will ultimately end up for the Clippers this coming season, which is the final guaranteed one with both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George on the books. The stars have player options in 2024-25, and could effectively opt to become free agents at the end of this coming campaign.
If the Clippers want to maximize their chances of keeping that duo together—provided they can get healthy this coming season—that gives Los Angeles incentive to truly go for it in 2023-24. Acquiring Lillard would be one clear way to illustrate that. And also, let’s be honest: Lillard, coming off the season he just did, is a more consistent, reliable playoff performer than Harden at this point. No one questions his commitment the way is so often the case with Harden, who now will be playing for a fourth team in four years. The question of whether the Clippers can be champions anytime soon likely rests in the health of Leonard and George, but perhaps they could catch healthy lightning in a bottle with someone of Lillard’s caliber?
The challenge, though, is that the Clippers don’t have as much to offer in the way of first-round picks, largely due to their maneuvering to get Leonard and George in the first place. There have been reports of Los Angeles making center Ivica Zubac, one of the most solid bigs in the league, available for trade. So it is possible that the Clips try to get help from a third team to include more assets in hopes of landing Lillard.
