The Damian Lillard sweepstakes are still underway, with the Portland Trail Blazers trying to figure out what to do after the superstar guard recently requested to be traded.
Although Lillard wants to be traded to the Miami Heat to join his close friend Bam Adebayo and play alongside Jimmy Butler, the Blazers appear to be doing their due diligence in finding the right deal that will benefit them rather than where the perennial All-Star wants to go.
It is quickly turning into an ugly situation in Portland, with Lillard’s loyalty being rewarded with the team willing to ship him anywhere for a better return.
One team that has emerged as a potential suitor for Lillard is the Utah Jazz, who have become a better-than-expected squad after trading stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert last offseason and have a lot of assets to get a deal done, via NBA on ESPN.
Would Dame fit well with the Jazz? ???? pic.twitter.com/LeJrnit5IY
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) July 6, 2023
Walker Kessler has turned out to be a better all-around player than Gobert, while Lauri Markkanen has shouldered the load as the undisputed leader of this team.
With the team loaded with draft picks due to last year’s trades, Utah could be a strong contender to land Lillard if Portland likes what they’d receive in return from the Jazz.
However, Lillard has the Heat circled on his list and may try to force his way to Miami somehow, even though the team is in complete control with Lillard not possessing a no-trade clause.
Only time will tell how things pan out for Lillard and the Blazers, but there seems to be no timetable for when a deal might get done this summer.
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