Damian Lillard Names Heat, Nets As Likely Destinations in Hypothetical Trade

• Damian Lillard would love to go to Miami or Brooklyn in a hypothetical NBA trade
• He has insisted time and time again he wants to win with the Portland Trail Blazers
• The Blazers have a few assets to trade this summer to improve the team around him

Damian Lillard has been loyal to the Portland Trail Blazers throughout his career, but many fans have urged the sharpshooting point guard to move in order to maximize his talents.

He was recently asked where he would love to land in a hypothetical trade. He mentioned Miami and Brooklyn as the top priorities.

Lillard has been clear he wants to remain a Blazer until he retires, but frustrations brought about by lack of continuity in the playoffs could change things as he enters a new stage in his career.

The farthest he's gone is the conference finals. He reached the 2019 Western Conference finals where the team was swept by the Golden State Warriors juggernaut in the middle of their dynasty.

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Since then, it has been disappointment after disappointment in the postseason. His backcourt partner, CJ McCollum was traded to New Orleans last year. The team made a raft of other changes which brought little success.

This year, Portland has the No. 3 pick in the 2023 NBA draft as well as Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe to offer up in trades to improve the team to a contender, per Oregon Live.

Lillard lists possible NBA destinations

During an appearance on Showtime Sports’ The Last Stand podcast, he was asked how he would feel about being traded to the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat, or New York Knicks, should it come to that.

"Miami obviously. Miami is the obvious one. Bam [Adebayo] is my dog. Bam is my dog for real. But I mean I think Miami is the obvious one. Brooklyn is another obvious one because Mikal Bridges is my dog too. I mean, both have capable rosters," Lillard said, via CBS Sports.

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However, he reiterated that his priority is to win in Portland.

"I want to have an opportunity to win in Portland… We got an opportunity, asset-wise, to build a team that can compete. If we can't do that, then, you know, obviously, like I've said, you know, for months now, like then this is a separate conversation that we would have to have."

It will be interesting to see what happens in the next few months.

Lillard scores 71 vs Rockets

Sports Brief also reported on Lillard scoring 71 in a game when the Blazers beat the Houston Rockets 131-114, becoming only the eighth player to do so.

He also became the second player to score at least 70 points in a game after Cleveland Cavaliers' Donovan Mitchell versus the Chicago Bulls on January 2.

Lillard's impressive number of 13 3-pointers were one shy of the NBA record set by Golden State Warriors sharpshooter, Klay Thompson in 2018.