Lillard Won’t Come Cheap
When Damian Lillard requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers, one of the things that worried analysts was how long it would take before the deal happened. After all, Lillard, at 32, averaged 32.2 points last season for the Blazers and remains one of the most deadly spot-up shooters in the NBA. He’s also entering the third year of a $176M four-year deal he signed in 2021.
Most importantly, one of the reasons why the Lillard trade could drag on longer than some expect is because of Portland’s asking price for the seven-time NBA All-Star.
The Price
Lillard has made it known that his preferred destination is the Miami Heat. The problem is that Miami doesn’t have appealing assets it can offer to Portland for a club intent on rebuilding. The Heat lost both Gabe Vincent and Max Strus to free agency, reducing a potential return even further. Both Vincent and Strus had great performances throughout the Heat’s run to the 2022 NBA Finals before losing to the Denver Nuggets in five games.
Initially, the Heat built a package involving Tyler Herro and draft compensations to get the ball rolling, but no significant progress has been made since then. Observers believe a third team will be needed for Lillard to get his wish. But make no mistake about it, Trail Blaizers GM Joe Cronin isn’t about to let Lillard go for cents on the dollar.
According to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian, the Blazers’ asking price includes four first-round picks and two quality players, which explains the need for another team or two as Miami’s Herro focused deal isn’t enough to get a trade across the finish line.
Despite his desire to head to South Beach, Miami isn’t the only team that has inquired about the Blazers star guard. Teams like the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and even the Los Angeles Clippers have been floated out as alternative landing spots for Lillard.
The issues there however are that neither Boston nor Philadelphia seem overly eager to part with Jaylen Brown or Tyrese Maxey as part of a potential deal. Which puts them in the same boat as Miami. Eager to acquire assets, but not as eager to pay market price.
The Alternative
If there’s one NBA team that could give Portland what it wants in terms of quality players and draft capital, it’s the New York Knicks.
In terms of draft picks, the Knicks have 2024 first-round draft picks from the deals they made with the Dallas Mavericks, the Detroit Pistons, the Washington Wizards, and a 2025 pick from the Milwaukee Bucks. That’s more than enough of a pool of picks Portland can choose from.
In terms of the quality players Portland wants for Lillard, the Knicks could throw in Quentin Grimes or RJ Barrett to get the ball rolling. It’s unlikely the Knicks would include Jalen Brunson, as Brunson would work as Lillard’s backcourt partner should the deal materialize.
The Toronto Raptors have also been floated out as a potential “third party” team. In this scenario it’s likely the Raptors would acquire Tyler Herro, while Portland would receive a treasure trove of picks alongside either Pascal Siakam or OG Anunoby.
As of July 13th, sports books had the Heat as the favourites to land the Portland superstar at +200 odds. Trailing behind them were the 76ers (+550), Timberwolves (+650), Raptors (+750), and New York Knicks (+850).
Whatever the outcome, it’s likely to be a waiting game for the Blazers and Lillard, as General Manager Joe Cronin said the team is willing to wait for months to complete a deal that would satisfy the team’s needs.
“We’re going to be patient. We’re going to do what’s best for our team. We’re going to see how this lands. And if it takes months, it takes months.”
A player of Lillard’s calibre deserves a package that can compensate for what Lillard will leave behind in Portland. It’s expected Portland will take the time to find the best deal possible, which is why this whole Lillard drama could drag on into the start of the 2023-2024 season.
-Iggy Gonzales
Photo: Another Believer. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.