The Portland Trail Blazers are under no obligation to comply with Damian Lillardās desire to be traded to the Miami Heat. He doesnāt have a no-trade clause, and they must do whatās best for them.
Under normal circumstances, the Blazers wouldāve gotten multiple offers for Lillard already. But heās made it loud and clear that he only intends to play for one franchise.
Even so, John Hollinger of The Athletic predicts he could change his stance because of his limited leverage. With that in mind, the New Orleans Pelicans could be considered a legit trade suitor for him.
Pelicans Could Trade For Damian Lillard
āIt would be ironic to trade McCollum and Nance back to Portland since thatās almost certainly what this would entail to create a salary match,ā Hollinger wrote. āThere is a case to be made for kicking the tires on this, even though itās not Lillardās first choice.ā
āHeās signed for four more years, so his leverage is fairly limited,ā Hollinger added. āAnd the Pels can create a winning package with their future picks and young players; there is no question they can outbid the rest of the market.ā
Of course, that doesnāt mean Lillard will want to play in the Big Easy. But at this point, he might be forced to reconsider his stance to be traded exclusively to the Heat.
