Damian Lillard has been mentioned in trade rumors for a hot minute now, and as the days go by, even with his reluctance to give up on the Portland Trail Blazers, reports suggesting he might be thinking about leaving the team keep coming.
Lillard was recently asked which team he’d like to join if there was a four-team race for his services, picking the Miami Heat as his preferred destination.
“Everybody keeps saying, ‘Damian Lillard is gonna be traded to the Knicks, Damian Lillard is gonna be traded to the Heat, Damian Lillard should be traded to the Celtics, Damian Lillard is gonna be traded to the Nets.’ If one of those trades went through, out of those teams, which one would you be like, ‘oh, that’s not too bad’?” Dame was asked.
“Miami, obviously,” Lillard responded with a laugh. “Miami is the obvious one. Bam [Adebayo] is my dog. Miami is the obvious one, Brooklyn is the obvious one because Mikal Bridges is my dog…”
Damian Lillard says Miami is ‘obviously’ his first choice over Boston, New York and Brooklyn in a hypothetical trade
“Bam is my dawg”
(Via @Showtime ) pic.twitter.com/9XhBZq3kIp
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 7, 2023
Lillard has been linked with these two teams in recent times, especially with Brooklyn during the NBA Playoffs. The point guard attended one of their games against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round, sparking a lot of rumors about his future in the league.
The Heat were also mentioned as a potential landing spot for the former Rookie of the Year, and these comments re-spark the idea that Dame could be on the way to South Beach.
Damian Lillard Sends Big Message To Portland Trail Blazers’ Front Office
Meanwhile, Lillard, who is due $45.6 million for the 2023-24 NBA season, has shared his frustrations with the Trail Blazers front office for not putting together a competitive team. He’s made it clear he wants to win in Portland, but if another season goes by and the Trail Blazers fail to at least compete for a championship, he’ll probably ask for a trade.
Dame will get $48.7 million in 2024-25 before reaching bigger numbers with $58.5 million in 2025-26. He has a $63.2 million player option for 2026-27, but it’s unclear which team will pay him that money if he opts in.
Lillard remains one of the best players in the NBA, even getting All-NBA honors this season. He averaged 32.2 points, 7.3 assists, and 4.8 rebounds in 58 games this campaign, shooting 46.3% from the field, 37.1% from beyond the arc and 91.4% from the free-throw line.
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