Damian Lillard Trade Speculation: Toronto Raptors Take Leading Role
The Toronto Raptors are eyeing to acquire seven-time NBA All-Star guard Damian Lillard in a potential trade with the Portland Trail Blazers. According to Marc Spears from ESPN, the Blazers are planning to trade Lillard before the NBA's Media Day on October 2.
Lillard averaged 32.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.8 rebounds during the 2022-23 season for the Trail Blazers, who finished with a record of 33-49 and missed the playoffs. They secured the third pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and considered trading it for veteran wing players. Instead, they chose point guard Scoot Henderson.
After the draft, Lillard requested a trade and the Trail Blazers are trying to accommodate his wish. Initially, Lillard expressed interest in joining the Miami Heat but negotiations stalled.
several Eastern Conference teams, including the Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, and Chicago Bulls, were interested in adding Lillard to their roster, but none of them made a significant offer in the offseason.
Lillard to Heat Negotiations Cool Down
The Trail Blazers sought four first-round draft picks for Lillard, while the Heat offered a pair of first-round draft picks and guard Tyler Herro for Lillard. However, the Trail Blazers preferred draft capital to Herro.
Herro, an NBA Sixth Man of the Year, started for the Heat last season, but his trade value decreased after fracturing his hand in the first round of the playoffs. The Nuggets easily defeated the Heat in the Finals to win their first NBA title.
Currently, the Miami Heat are the bookmakers' favorites to land Lillard at -250 odds, according to a prop bet from DraftKings.
Recent developments suggest the Raptors have emerged as the favorites in Lillard trade talks, with odds of +400 at DraftKings.
Raptors Emerge as Leading Candidate
Even though trade talks with the Heat ceased, the Raptors have taken the lead in acquiring Lillard. The Eastern Conference could be extremely competitive next season, and the Raptors would benefit significantly from adding Lillard. They'd love to pair him with All-Star forward Pascal Siakam.
Scottie Barnes won Rookie of the Year in 2022 but struggled in his second season. The Trail Blazers would love to acquire Barnes, but he isn't available according to the Raptors.
OG Anunoby is the most likely player from the Raptors to be involved in a trade for Lillard. The Trail Blazers already have Jerami Grant, which means they would most likely trade Anunoby.
The Raptors can offer the Trail Blazers a trade package consisting of multiple first-round picks in 2028 and 2030, two pick swaps, Anunoby, incoming rookie guard Gradey Dick from Kansas (#13 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft), and a couple of veterans with expiring contracts.
Thaddeus Young, Otto Porter, Gary Trent Jr., and Chris Boucher are veterans on the Raptors with expiring contracts.
Suns Propose Three-Team Deal
The Trail Blazers were also mentioned in trade rumors around Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton.
The Suns remain active in the off-season, having traded Chris Paul to the Washington Wizards for Bradley Beal. They're eager to part ways with Ayton, the #1 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, who signed a max-contract extension last year.
The Trail Blazers are interested in Ayton, while the Suns are eyeing Portland's center, Jusuf Nurkic. This potential big-man swap could help facilitate a Lillard trade with the Raptors.
A three-team deal involving the Suns, Trail Blazers, and Raptors may be proposed. In this scenario, the Raptors would acquire Lillard and Jabari Walker, the Trail Blazers would get Ayton, Dick, Trent, Young, and two first-round draft picks from the Raptors, and the Suns would receive Anunoby and Nurkic.
Multiteam trades are notoriously difficult to negotiate, so a three-way deal for Lillard appears to be a long shot. There's a better chance the Suns and Trail Blazers strike a deal for Ayton post-Lillard trade.
The Phoenix Suns are currently at a 6.5-to-1 chance of snagging the 2023-24 NBA title, putting them in the third spot on the futures list behind the reigning champs, the Denver Nuggets (+4.75), and the Boston Celtics (+5-to-1). The Miami Heat come in at 9-to-1 odds, ranking them fifth on the board.
Toronto Raptors have dismal 80-to-1 chances of capturing the championship trophy. However, if they somehow manage to trade for Damian Lillard, their odds will undoubtedly soar.
With astronomical 250-to-1 odds, the Portland Trail Blazers are considered a highly unlikely candidate for the NBA championship. In fact, they are projected to land in last place in the Northwest Division.
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Source: www.casino.org
