The Portland Trail Blazers are facing a major crossroads in the offseason.
Damian Lillard made it public that he does not want to be a part of a rebuilding team, so they might need to trade him if they choose to go in that direction.
Should that be the case, NBA insider Frank Isola believes Lillard’s future could be in the Eastern Conference, with the Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors, and Brooklyn Nets as potential landing spots.
“I think he’s gonna be on the move. I think he’s gonna end up in the eastern conference.”
– @TheFrankIsola mentions Miami, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Toronto and Brooklyn as potential landing spots for Damian Lillard pic.twitter.com/Dr2htqSRDv
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) April 24, 2023
The Blazers don’t have a good-enough roster to compete for a ring right now, and it might be easier and better to just blow it up and start from scratch.
The Heat have been in the market for another star for quite a while now, and Jimmy Butler would welcome him with open arms any day of the week.
The Hawks have been rumored to be interested in parting ways with Trae Young, although he may not want to play for a rebuilding team either, even if he’s younger than Lillard.
The Sixers might lose James Harden in the offseason, and adding Lillard would be the ultimate compensation for that, as he’d be yet another elite scoring guard and playmaker next to Joel Embiid.
The Raptors look like a bit of a longshot, as they don’t currently have a coach and may not be ready to compete, yet Masai Ujiri is always lurking in the shadows.
And last but not least, the Nets do have the assets to try and pull a trade for him, but again, they might not be ready to be a contender just yet.
NEXT: Ex-NBA Star Drops Major Theory On Damian Lillard's Future
