The Portland Trail Blazers have entered trade negotations on Damian Lillard in the offseason of 2023 with the expectation of receiving the same type of return for him as the Brooklyn Nets did at the trade deadline for Kevin Durant, or the Utah Jazz for Rudy Gobert in the 2022 offseason.
Lillard, however, is about to turn 33 and is trying to direct himself to the Miami Heat. The Heat cannot put together a package to rival what the Nets and Jazz received when they traded their stars.
“Damian Lillard wants to be in Miami,” said Adrian Wojnarowski. “Portland looks at what Miami has to offer them in a trade: draft picks, young players, assets. It doesn’t enthrall them.
“So what is incumbent on Portland now is to go out in the marketplace and find someone who will offer them more. That’s what they’re trying to do now. They see a player of Damian Lillard’s stature, All-NBA player, 32 years old and they look at what the Nets got for Kevin Durant. They look at Rudy Gobert in Minnesota. They see those kinds of returns. That’s what they imagine for Damian Lillard. But this is a different day. A new collective bargaining agreement in place. It’s going to take some time for this marketplace to develop and to get a real sense of what is available for them out there. They’re certainly in no rush to do a deal with Miami. They would need a third team to take on Tyler Herro. I think it’s just going to take time”
