Damian Lillard is not in the trade block officially despite rumors suggesting that he could ask out from Portland, especially if the Blazers do not improve the team to become a true contender.
According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, several teams are inquiring about Lillard’s availability, with the Sixers, the Knicks, the Heat and the Kings being among the ‘most aggressive suitors’ for a trade.
“Few team executives expect a Dame deal to happen this offseason. But multiple front-office sources say the Heat, Kings, Knicks, Rockets, and Sixers have recently been the most aggressive suitors,” O’connor wrote.
Should Portland eventually decide to trade Lillard, executives in the NBA expect the Blazers to receive a return for Lillard comparable to what the Brooklyn Nets sent the Rockets for Harden. Lillard is signed for four more seasons at $176 million total.
Last season, the Blazers finished the year with another early playoff exit, falling to the undermanned Denver Nuggets, who did not have Jamal Murray and Will Barton available for the postseason.
