Even though the Philadelphia 76ers know Damian Lillard wants the Portland Trail Blazers to trade him to the Miami Heat, the front office hasn’t ruled out trading for the seven-time All-Star, according to NBA insider Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.
However, Sixers personnel have consistently underplayed the odds of acquiring Lillard, who only wants to get traded to the Heat.
“Philadelphia has not ruled out a trade for Lillard entirely, sources have said throughout the past week, but team personnel have consistently underplayed the odds of doing so,” Neubeck wrote. “That’s for good reason — it would come at a high price, it would require multiple teams and a lot of moving parts, and it’s unclear if the Sixers would emerge as a championship-ready team from such a trade.
“Gutting your team for the sake of chasing another star could have disastrous consequences, and potentially leave the Sixers in a worse spot than they’re in right now.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers & Philadelphia 76ers Updates
Lillard’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, has been calling non-Heat teams, telling them not to trade for Lillard. It’s possible Goodwin has spoken to the Sixers, who are dealing with James Harden’s trade request. The former MVP opted into his 2023-24 player option and wants to get traded to the Los Angeles Clippers to play with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
Lillard doesn’t have a no-trade clause in his contract, so he can’t force his way to the Heat. The All-NBA guard is also under contract, so if the Sixers traded for Lillard and he wasn’t happy, he would still have to play for Philadelphia to avoid fines.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers & Philadelphia 76ers Updates
The Sixers are not going to trade Tyrese Maxey despite choosing not to sign the talented scorer to a rookie-scale extension. Maxey is a treasured member of their current and future core.
All signs point toward Lillard not ending up with the Sixers, who have to figure out the Harden situation.
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