Damian Lillard isn’t going anywhere… at least not for the time being.
The Portland Trail Blazers met with their all-time leading scorer Monday, and GM Joe Cronin came away from the meeting resolute in his commitment to building a winner around Lillard.
It’s a confusing stance considering the team’s young core and apparent distance from being a contender ahead of free agency. That makes it hard to believe a trade request won’t come later in the summer if the team doesn’t do more to improve in the next few days.
DraftKings odds favor Portland to retain Lillard at -300, but if he does relocate, Miami has the next best odds at +225 and Brooklyn is third at +800. After them, it’s the Pelicans, Celtics and 76ers.
Odds for where Damian Lillard plays next (via Draftkings)
- Portland Trail Blazers (-300)
- Miami Heat (+225)
- Brooklyn Nets (+800)
- New Orleans Pelicans (+2000)
- Boston Celtics (+2000)
- Philadelphia 76ers (+2200)
Below is a ranking of these teams by fit.
6
Portland Trail Blazers
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Similar to my Kyrie Irving rankings, the team favored for Lillard isn’t the team he fits the best. There’s a reason we’re having this conversation. For starters, his backcourt mate is Anfernee Simons, another small guard. But also, after drafting Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson in consecutive years, the Blazers are becoming increasingly younger and out of alignment with Lillard’s timeline.
5
Philadelphia 76ers
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The Sixers would presumably move 22-year-old Tyrese Maxey in a potential deal for Lillard, because it wouldn’t make sense for them to roster a team with both. They’d also want to re-sign James Harden to create a big three with Joel Embiid. They’d win a lot of games, but the ball would be out of Lillard’s hands more than you’d like.
4
Boston Celtics
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Boston could use Lillard’s ball-handling and clutch shooting late in games, particularly in the postseason. And the need for a point guard is even greater after they traded Marcus Smart to Memphis in the Kristaps Porzingis deal. A more traditional point would help even more, but Lillard would be great here.
3
New Orleans Pelicans
AP Photo/Matthew Hinton
While the Pelicans have plenty of scoring options on the floor, they don’t have a single player on the perimeter who commands the attention Damian Lillard does. We know he works well with C.J. McCollum, and if the Pels could keep Zion Williamson in a potential deal, those two would make a mean duo.
2
Brooklyn Nets
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
The biggest thing going for the Nets is need. A player like Lillard could change their outlook completely. Also, Brooklyn has the ideal team to put around Lillard, with length on the perimeter from players like Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith able to compensate for his lack of size and defensive ability.
1
Miami Heat
Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
There’s a reason Miami has been most linked to Lillard. He mentioned them as the team he would most want to play for if he left Portland, citing his relationship with Bam Adebayo. They fit his timeline as far as a team ready to win now. He fits their biggest needs as a point guard and scorer. He also seems like a better culture fit than the other point guard linked to Miami.
