Damian Lillard has repeatedly said that he will not request a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers, but it sounds like the star point guard has given some thought to where he would want to play if the two sides decide to move on.
During an appearance on Showtime’s “The Last Stand” this week, Lillard was asked about the rumors linking him to the Miami Heat, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets. Of those teams, Lillard admitted the Heat and Nets would appeal to him most.
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“Miami, obviously,” Lillard said with a laugh. “Miami is the obvious one, and Bam (Adebayo) is my dog. Bam is my dog, for real. I think Miami’s an obvious one. Brooklyn is another obvious one because Mikal Bridges is my dog, too.”
Lillard added that both the Heat and the Nets are capable of contending, which would be a priority for the 32-year-old at this point in his career.
Again, Lillard has not asked for a trade. A recent report actually claimed there is a decent chance the Blazers will bring in another star player this offseason. Should they decide to go the opposite direction, Lillard has said in the past that he won’t stand in the way of Portland trading him.
Lillard averaged a career-high 32.2 points per game last season. That was not enough to carry the Blazers to the postseason, as they won just 33 games. Despite that, Lillard has remained loyal to the only franchise for which he has played in his 11 NBA seasons.
