1 surprising team emerging as contender for Damian Lillard

Mar 19, 2023; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) participates in warmups before playing LA Clippers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

The Damian Lillard trade chatter is heating up once again. But this time, the Miami Heat may not be considered the front-runners for the Portland Trail Blazers star.

Last week, there was reportedly a mystery East team hoping to acquire the 7-time All-Star. Now it appears that ESPN’s Marc J. Spears has revealed who that team was — the Toronto Raptors.

The Raptors are said to be the “front-runners” in the Lillard trade sweepstakes, with the caveat being that no deal is “imminent” just yet.

Spears also reports that two NBA executives believe that Lillard would be traded before media day, which is October 2 for most teams. The Blazers would potentially face a PR nightmare should Lillard still be on the team for media day.

The Heat offer was initially said to include Tyler Herro and two first-round picks. Miami does not have much else to offer compared to the Raptors, who have several intriguing pieces on their roster.

Toronto has tradable veterans in Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby. They also have young talent such as 2022 Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes and 2023 lottery pick Gradey Dick.

Despite the Raptors having plenty to offer, the question is whether Lillard would actually want to play for the Canadian side. Lillard’s recent social media activity has hinted that he still wants to go to the Heat.

However, the Raptors did pull off a similar move with the Kawhi Leonard trade back in 2019 — and that worked out pretty well for them.