After the Portland Trail Blazers failed to make the NBA postseason again, talks of Damian Lillard moving on are already beginning to spiral. Things are heating up recently after the All-Star guard was seen sitting courtside watching the Brooklyn Nets take on the Philadelphia 76ers.
Following the trades of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, the Nets have many assets at their disposal. If a star-level player becomes available this summer, they’ll potentially have the pieces to get a deal done.
As expected, Lillard being front row for a matchup like this sparked a lot of chatter. An NBA executive recently opened up to NBA Analysis Network about a possible trade for the 32-year-old guard.
“The talk around the league is that [Lillard] wants to play somewhere else. It’s far from the first time that’s been the case, though,” an NBA executive told NBA Analysis Network.
“With him, it’s become a ‘believe it when I see it’ situation as far as a trade request is concerned. … He made his presence known by sitting courtside in Brooklyn to get a feel for what it would be like to play there. That’s something to watch.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers & Brooklyn Nets Updates
The Blazers would likely have to take on Ben Simmons and his massive contract to make things work financially. Coming off the worst season of his career, it seems doubtful that a team will take on the final years of his max contract.
“Nothing has changed with him, and at this point, it’s far more unlikely than not it ever does.” the executive said. “Good luck finding a third team to take on that contract without having to make it really worth their while.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers & Brooklyn Nets Updates
With their abundance of size and length, Lillard is the ideal star to put alongside the new-look Nets. If he requests a trade, Brooklyn will surely be one of the many teams in the mix to acquire him.
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