Sports
Damian Lillard Trade Rumors: 76ers Have Talked to Blazers Multiple Times in Offseason – Bleacher Report
The Philadelphia 76ers have reportedly had discussions with the Portland Trail Blazers regarding superstar guard Damian Lillard this offseason.
Speaking Friday on the PHLY Sixers Podcast (h/t HoopsHype), Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com reported that the Sixers have at least checked in on Lillard in recent months:
Neubeck confirmed that talks have been held at various times, but downplayed the idea that the 76ers have made any kind of serious push for Lillard:
“There was some smoke out there today regarding Dame to the Sixers and that maybe the Sixers’ involvement in this process has been underplayed. I wouldn’t go quite that far yet. Here’s what I can tell you that I know for sure that the Sixers have certainly talked to the Blazers about Dame at different points throughout this offseason. Talking to someone and saying, ‘Hey, we would like Dame Lillard on our basketball team’ is not ‘We’re putting together a credible trade package for Dame Lillard.'”
Lillard has been the biggest name on the trade block throughout the offseason, but Blazers have yet to find an offer to their liking and could enter training camp next month with Lillard still on the roster.
Blazers general manager Joe Cronin announced in June that Lillard had requested a trade, but he did not guarantee a deal would be reached, and said the front office would do what is best for the organization as a whole.
ESPN Andscape’s Marc J. Spears reported that the Miami Heat were Lillard’s preferred landing spot.
Lillard’s trade request reportedly came as a result of him not feeling like the Blazers did enough in free agency and on the trade market to put themselves in playoff and championship contention.
Portland used the No. 3 overall pick in the draft on guard Scoot Henderson rather than trading the pick for an established veteran, which could have potentially been viewed as the Blazers preparing for life after Dame.
While rumors and speculation regarding Lillard’s status have persisted all season long, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (h/t HoopsHype) said this month that Lillard and the Blazers are “fully prepared” for him to be with the team come training camp.
If that happens, Wojnarowski speculated that Portland could revisit trading Lillard 20 to 25 games into the season since some teams could be willing to part with more in a trade by that point.
The Sixers have reached the playoffs in six straight seasons, but they have not advanced beyond the second round during that time.
Philly boasts one of the NBA’s best players in reigning MVP Joel Embiid, but he is 29 years old and has a lengthy injury history, so there may be some sense of urgency to get over the hump in the next couple of years.
The Sixers’ core of Embiid, James Harden, Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris is strong, but they haven’t had the secret sauce needed to truly enjoy playoff success.
Also, Harden has made it clear this offseason that he is unhappy and wants a trade, so there are significant chemistry concerns as the season approaches.
If the Sixers could acquire Lillard, they would add an elite outside scorer to pair with Embiid, although it is unclear if they have the pieces to make it happen.
It seems likely that Portland would want Maxey as part of a trade package for Lillard, and Philly may be unwilling to part with a rising 22-year-old star.
Lillard is a seven-time All-Star and averaged a career-high 32.2 points per game last season, but at 33 years of age, the Sixers must weigh whether it is worth it to go all in by acquiring him and mortgaging some of their future.
