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
Damian Lillard told the Portland Trail Blazers over the summer that he wanted to be traded to the Miami Heat and the Miami Heat only, but the star point guard eventually signed off on joining the Milwaukee Bucks. There was reportedly one other team he was willing to play for.
Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic published a column on Thursday that provides a behind-the-scenes look at how Lillard landed in Milwaukee. When it became clear that the Blazers and Heat were not going to be able to come to an agreement, Lillard informed Portland he would be open to playing for two other teams — the Bucks and Brooklyn Nets.
The inclusion of the Phoenix Suns — the third team in the Lillard trade — was viewed by the Blazers as “essential” regardless of whether they traded Lillard to Milwaukee or Brooklyn. That is because Portland views Deandre Ayton as a foundational piece. The Blazers also got Jrue Holiday in the Lillard deal, but they are expected to trade him.
The Nets were at one point viewed as a potential third team that could help facilitate a deal between the Blazers and Heat. That probably was never going to work because of one particular player, which may be why Brooklyn never had serious involvement in the Lillard talks.
Had he gone to the Nets, Lillard would have been the centerpiece of his team. Brooklyn likely would have needed to make a couple of other significant moves in order to be viewed as a championship contender, even with Lillard in the mix. The same is not true for the Bucks, who are now the favorite to win it all next season.
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