An NBA All-Star is trying to do everything in his power to keep Damian Lillard off his rival, and land him as his teammate instead.
The last great NBA star has succumbed to the pressures of winning over the virtues of patience. Damian Lillard can't wait any longer for the Portland Trail Blazers to build a competitive team around him, and has formally requested a trade. To his credit, he waited longer than any other star would have.
After over a decade in Portland, the dream of Lillard, a high-scoring star, playing out his entire career in a smaller market city is officially dead.
Lillard scored a career-high 32.0 points per game last year but Portland failed to reach the postseason for the third time since Lillard was drafted. Now, the Blazers will presumably look to move Lillard in exchange for assets to launch themselves into their next era. With Jerami Grant secured for years and rookie Scoot Henderson in tow, they may be able to avoid an arduous rebuild if they play this right.
The Miami Heat have jumped out early as the most likely destination. Lillard wants to go there, rumors suggest his interest is pushing other teams away, and Miami would love to get him. But a rival is trying to do anything to keep that from happening.
NBA rumors suggest Jayson Tatum wants Celtics to get Damian Lillard
Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics nearly came back from a 3-0 deficit against the Miami Heat this offseason, but lost in Game 7. The Celtics and Heat will remain fierce rivals as long as these two teams are still in the running for the Finals.
For Jayson Tatum and the Cs, Lillard going to Miami is simply bad for business. Miami already has stars in Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo to deal with, and the addition of Lillard would cement that big three as the clear runner-up to the original Big 3 in Miami made up of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. It's hard to see Boston getting past that trio.
Marc Spears reported on-air for ESPN that Tatum is recruiting Lillard to Boston (H/T SI). It's been noted previously that Lillard doesn't have much of an interest in playing for Boston, but the lack of a no-trade clause gives him little control over where he winds up in a trade.
Considering the Blazers have telegraphed that they will prioritize winning over anything in this deal, it's safe to say that the team that comes out on top will more than likely be whoever gives the Blazers the best offer, not necessarily the team Lillard wants to go to the most.
Miami has little to offer, and it's tricky to see something materializing. That said, Pat Riley has been known to make something out of nothing.
Boston can offer a lot, especially if they can convince Grant Williams to sign and trade his way to Portland. A deal centered on Jaylen Brown and Grant Williams would be enough to get the financials right and send Lillard to Mass.
We'll see how this plays out, but Boston should be doing anything it can to block Lillard from getting to South Beach.