The Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls could possibly acquire Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. Lillard has requested a trade from the Blazers and wants to get traded to the Miami Heat, but Portland is not interested in trading Lillard to Miami.
“At this juncture, Toronto and Chicago have been the two possible destinations for Lillard most discussed by league figures,” Fischer wrote. “While a collection of NBA personnel expect Portland to engage Miami before finalizing something with another suitor, the Heat have not factored primarily in the Blazers’ recent dialogue surrounding Lillard, league sources said. Additionally, the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz have materialized as periphery teams that could factor into larger deals that help facilitate Lillard’s departure from the Blazers.”
Lillard is under contract, so he would get fined if he didn’t play for the Raptors or Bulls. Most people around the NBA don’t expect Lillard to hold out if he doesn’t get traded to the Heat.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Damian Lillard, Chicago Bulls, Portland Trail Blazers, Toronto Raptors Updates
Back in the summer of 2018, the Raptors acquired Kawhi Leonard from the San Antonio Spurs despite Leonard making it known behind the scenes he wanted the Spurs to trade him to the Los Angeles Lakers or Los Angeles Clippers. Masai Ujiri took a huge risk trading for a player with one year left on his contract.
The gamble paid off, as Leonard guided the Raptors to the 2019 NBA championship over the Golden State Warriors in six games.
Even though Leonard left for the Clippers in the summer of 2019, he’s still a Raptors legend. Maybe Ujiri can recreate his Leonard magic with Lillard, who averaged 32.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists last season for the Blazers.
The Bulls, meanwhile, have been looking for a new franchise player in the post-Jimmy Butler era. Chicago is willing to part ways with Zach LaVine to acquire Lillard.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Damian Lillard, Chicago Bulls, Portland Trail Blazers, Toronto Raptors Updates
For his part, Lillard still wants the Blazers to trade him to the Heat despite the NBA’s initiative to warn Lillard and his agent that any further comments made “suggesting Lillard will not fully perform the services called for under his player contract in the event of a trade” will be subject to discipline, according to NBA insider Shams Charania of The Athletic.
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