Portland Trail Blazers’ All-Star point guard Damian Lillard is the biggest name currently available on the trade block, and there’s already one major front-runner for his services.
Lillard requested a trade from the only NBA team he has ever known back on July 1. 11 days later, he remains a member of the Trail Blazers as the organization continues to field trade offers for the future Hall of Famer.
According to multiple reports, the Miami Heat are the favorites to acquire Lillard.
But what if another Eastern Conference club swooped in and won the Lillard sweepstakes over the NBA runner-ups?
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley proposed a blockbuster trade idea where the Atlanta Hawks would acquire Lillard from Portland in exchange for fellow All-Star guard Trae Young, Jalen Johnson, 2024 and 2029 first-rounders plus first-round pick swaps in 2028 and 2030:
“Sending him to one of the Heat’s Southeast Division rivals seems cruel, but the Hawks potentially have a foundational talent to spare. Young, a two-time All-Star and one-time All-NBA honoree, could effortlessly fill Lillard’s shoes in this offense. Both are pick-and-roll maestros with an array of dribble moves, deep shooting range and the willingness to distribute…
Lillard could arrive as essentially a turbo-charged version of Young, meaning there would be minimal disruption to the system and the chance for this group to hit the ground sprinting.
If Lillard maintains anything close to this past season’s production (32.2 points on 64.5 percent true shooting), then he’s a tier or two above Young. That bump could be the difference between the Hawks being gridlocked among the East’s middle class and becoming full-fledged contenders.”
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The Hawks are two years removed from a surprise trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. Lillard (33 on July 15) may eight years older than Young, but the former would certainly help Atlanta’s chances of winning a championship in the short-term.
For Portland, they’d have another All-Star in Young to complement rookie Scoot Henderson, giving the struggling organization two young building blocks to build around long-term. On paper, this trade idea certainly makes sense for both sides.
But for now, the Heat still should be considered the heavy favorites to land Lillard unless someone else can “wow” Portland with an offer that Miami won’t be able to match.
