Portland Trail Blazers

The Toronto Raptors reportedly have emerged as candidates to acquire star point guard Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers, but up to this point, the franchise has failed to impress with its offseason moves.

Per ESPN's Tim Bontemps, a poll of 15 scouts, coaches and executives from across the NBA voted the Raptors as having the worst offseason heading into the 2023-24 campaign.

Toronto received five votes and the Philadelphia 76ers placed second with four votes. The Miami Heat garnered two votes, while the Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns and Washington Wizards each received one vote.

The Raptors' most notable free-agent signing is veteran point guard Dennis Schröder, who isn't exactly a difference-maker. Schröder was brought in to replace Fred VanVleet, who signed with the Rockets after spending seven years in Toronto.

"You can't lose Fred for nothing," an East executive said.

However, the Raptors can quickly change the perception of their offseason if they manage to acquire Lillard. Andscape's Marc J. Spears reported on Monday that two high-ranking NBA team executives said they "enter this week as the front-runners" to land the seven-time All-Star.

Training camp will officially open on Oct. 3, so it will be interesting to see if Toronto is able to make a move before then to turn its disappointing offseason around.

The Toronto Raptors are reportedly not making Scottie Barnes available as part of Damian Lillard trade talks.

Kurt Helin of NBC Sports reported "Barnes is not available. Portland fans love the idea of landing him but I've been told by multiple people it's not that he was taken off the table, he was never in the same room as the table."

The Raptors are considered the "front-runners" to land Lillard, according to Marc J. Spears of Andscape.

The Miami Heat have been Lillard's preferred destination since he requested a trade in July. While Miami has remained in dialogue with the Blazers regarding a trade, they've gotten nowhere close to a deal. Portland is determined to extract the highest possible value out of any Lillard trade, while the Heat are seemingly banking on Lillard's desire to play in Miami driving down the price.

The Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers and Chicago Bulls have also expressed interest in Lillard.

The Raptors are no strangers to acquiring disgruntled superstars who would not otherwise ever consider Toronto as a premier destination. Their 2018 trade for Kawhi Leonard was arguably the boldest move in franchise history and resulted in Toronto's first NBA championship. Leonard would exit for the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency after one season in Toronto, but you won't find a single Raptors fan who regrets the risk.

Lillard's situation is different because he's under team control for at least the next three seasons. At age 33, he's also significantly older than Leonard was (27) when he made his debut for the Raptors.

Lillard does not have the same type of transformative two-way dominance as a prime Kawhi, and that's likely enough for the Raptors to pull Barnes out of any trade discussion.

Barnes plateaued in 2022-23 after a sensational rookie season, but he's 22 years old and has homegrown All-Star potential. Jettisoning him for a 33-year-old defensive minus at the NBA's deepest position—no matter how great Lillard is offensively—is a risk not worth taking for a team not on the precipice of title contention.

The Miami Heat have been widely believed to be the next landing spot for Portland Trail Blazers star point guard Damian Lillard, but another Eastern Conference team reportedly is on the verge of swooping in and acquiring him via trade.

According to Andscape's Marc J. Spears, two high-ranking NBA team executives said the Toronto Raptors "enter this week as the front-runners" to land Lillard.

Spears noted that the Raptors "have had recent conversations with the Blazers about Lillard," but "no pact was close to being imminent as of Monday morning." Still, the two NBA executives "said that they expect Lillard to be traded before media day, which is Oct. 2 for most teams." Training camp officially begins the next day.

While Miami has been known to be Lillard's preferred destination since he requested to be traded on July 1, Portland has yet to receive an offer it deemed worthy of trading the seven-time All-Star. However, Toronto has multiple assets to play with that could be intriguing.

Spears stated that the Blazers "are intrigued about adding a young 6-foot-8 sharpshooter" in Raptors 2023 first-round pick Gradey Dick, who was selected 13th overall.

Toronto also could look to move the likes of Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby or Gary Trent Jr., as all of them were involved in trade rumors at some point last season. Those players would be more attractive than Miami's proposed deal that includes Tyler Herro and two first-round picks, per Spears.

The Raptors aren't the Heat's only competition in the Lillard sweepstakes. Spears reported that the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers and Chicago Bulls all "have shown interest" since his trade request was made public over the summer.

Despite the apparent lack of progress in trade discussions, Spears added that Lillard "is not expected to be a media day or training camp holdout" if a deal isn't agreed upon by then.

As the rumor mill surrounding a Damian Lillard trade continues to swirl, it appears that the Milwaukee Bucks have thrown themselves into the mix for the seven-time All-Star, according to ESPN's Marc Spears.

During an appearance on NBA Today, Spears reported that the Portland Trail Blazers have continued talks with several Eastern Conference teams including the Bucks, Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers.

It remains unclear how serious the Bucks' interest is in acquiring Lillard.

While it still looks like a bit of a long shot, there's no denying that if Lillard was to land in Milwaukee the Bucks would quickly have one of the NBA's elite duos along with two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.

However, it appears that the Raptors are currently the front runner to land Lillard, per Spears, with several teams saying that they wouldn't be surprised if he ends up north of the border.

Especially considering the organization's history with making these kinds of deals.

Masai Ujiri and Toronto's front office previously traded for Kawhi Leonard in 2018 when he was a disgruntled superstar with the San Antonio Spurs. And even though he turned out to be just a one-year rental, Leonard helped lead the franchise to its first NBA title.

Apparently, the only thing holding back the Raptors from going all-in on their pursuit of Lillard is that the superstar has been a bit resistant to the idea of joining the organization as he's been adamant about wanting to be traded to the Miami Heat.

It was reported earlier this week that if Portland sends Lillard anywhere besides South Florida, he'd just ask whatever organization he lands with for another trade.

Spears reported that things have been pretty quiet on the Heat front as Miami and Portland haven't engaged in serious trade talks for several months.

Damian Lillard will forever be a Portland Trail Blazers legend, but he might no longer be with the only NBA team he has ever known as soon as next week.

During an appearance on NBA Today, ESPN's Marc J. Spears reported that multiple general managers around the league "don't expect" the guard to be on the Trail Blazers by Monday's media day ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.

Lillard's trade request and the wide belief that the Miami Heat are his preferred destination has been one of the biggest storylines of the NBA offseason. However, another team outside of Miami has recently emerged as a Lillard suitor.

Sportsnet's Michael Grange reported the Toronto Raptors are "very much in the mix" and could offer a trade package centered around 26-year-old O.G. Anunoby and significant draft capital that would fit Portland's rebuilding focus with younger players and assets.

However, Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reported Lillard could still ask to be traded from his new team to the Heat even if Portland trades him to a destination outside of Miami.

That could create leverage issues for the Trail Blazers if any potential suitor would be under the assumption that Lillard wouldn't be happy there anyway. Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes said Portland is "refusing" to engage the Heat in any trade discussions.

While the situation has dragged on throughout the offseason, there could finally be a conclusion in the coming days. With training camps and preseason games right around the corner, getting Lillard in the building quickly would be an ideal development for whichever team trades for him so he can develop chemistry with his new teammates.

The seven-time All-Star could dramatically swing the overall ceiling for any team. He is 33 years old and hasn't reached the 60-game mark in a season since the 2020-21 campaign, but he averaged a career-high 32.2 points, 7.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 37.1 percent from deep last season.

Whether Miami, Toronto or another team ultimately lands him—and perhaps does so in the coming days—it will be among the most important acquisitions in years.

As the Damian Lillard trade saga continues to drag on closer to training camp, there appears to be another serious suitor starting to emerge outside of the Miami Heat in the Toronto Raptors, according to league insider Marc Stein.

Stein reported Sunday that several teams around the league believe that the Raptors' interest in trading for the seven-time All-Star is genuine, though they are hesitant due to Lillard's strong stance on only wanting to be traded to the Heat.

The biggest question mark surrounding Toronto's interest at the moment is how willing it'll be to push all its chips to the middle of the table to acquire Lillard, who has reportedly been resistant to the idea of going north of the border, per Stein.

This wouldn't be the first time that Masai Ujiri and the Raptors' front office have traded for a disgruntled superstar, having done so in 2018 when they acquired Kawhi Leonard from the San Antonio Spurs.

That turned out pretty good as Leonard led the franchise to its first ever NBA title.

However, Leonard was never quite as adamant about landing with one team as Lillard has been about joining the Heat.

It was actually reported earlier this week that Lillard would request another trade if he were sent anywhere besides the Heat from Portland.

Considering their number of young, talented assets, the Raptors would likely be able to send a much better package to the Trail Blazers for Lillard than Miami, who has an offer centered around Tyler Herro, a couple of young players and draft compensation.

As the Damian Lillard trade saga has heated up over the past couple of days, attention has turned to teams that could help facilitate multi-team deals and the Utah Jazz are solidly in that mix, according to Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer.

Fischer reported that both Utah and the Phoenix Suns have emerged as organizations that could help push a Lillard deal across the finish line.

Utah in particular—along with the Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Hornets and Brooklyn Nets—is interested in potentially landing Tyler Herro from the Miami Heat, Lillard's preferred destination.

It's been reported for months that any deal for Lillard to go to Miami would likely have to require a third or fourth team considering that the Trail Blazers aren't interested in adding Herro to its stable of young, talented guards.

However, there are multiple teams that are interested in taking whatever the Heat's best package may be if it ends up offering it, per Fischer. That package could include Herro and Nikola Jovic to go with Jaime Jaquez, Caleb Martin, in addition to draft compensation.

As for the Suns, it appears that Portland is interested acquiring center Deandre Ayton as part of a multiteam deal for Lillard, according to Fischer. The former No. 1 overall pick averaged 18.0 points per game. to go along with 10 rebounds last season.

He has been involved in trade rumors over the last few years but new coach Frank Vogel has publicly supported Ayton, calling him an "All-Star level" talent.

A deal that includes the Suns would likely send Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic to Phoenix as Portland may be looking to move his massive four-year, $70 million extension that he signed last offseason. Nurkic would provide another solid defensive anchor to the Suns' backline rotation.

Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard's trade request went public on July 1, and his agent, Aaron Goodwin, has made it clear that his client wants a move to the Miami Heat.

However, a trade does not appear "imminent" at this time, and the Blazers are refusing to talk with the Heat.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski relayed the former report, while Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes stated the latter fact.

Lillard, a seven-time All-NBA player, just averaged a career-high 32.2 points per game for the Blazers. He played in Portland for 11 years, leading his team to the playoffs eight times, including a 2019 Western Conference Finals appearance.

At 33 years old, Lillard is on the back half of his career, but he's still a tremendous player and one of the best scorers in the game. He'd be a tremendous asset anywhere he goes, which is why he should command a bountiful trade package in return.

Blazers general manager Joe Cronin understands this and told reporters he could take "months" to wait for the right deal.

At this juncture, it's been two months and three weeks since Lillard's trade request, and he still remains a member of the Blazers. The regular season is now just a month away as well with the Blazers opening their 2023-24 campaign on Oct. 25.

A move to the Heat seems less likely by the day, and it appears that other suitors, such as the Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors, have thrown their hats into the ring.

For now, though, Lillard remains a Blazer as the trade request standoff nears three months.

Despite Damian Lillard's agent saying in July that the Portland Trail Blazers star only wants to play for the Miami Heat, a potential trade could send him elsewhere.

"Talks have intensified over the past week, but still there's no trade imminent," ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said Friday on NBA Today. He added that the Heat were not part of these talks.

The Heat and Blazers perhaps have not spoken about a potential Lillard trade since July, Wojnarowski said Tuesday, per the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang.

Lillard requested a trade from the Blazers in July after repeatedly stating he wants to compete for a title. Portland missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season this spring.

Jackson and Chiang reported Wednesday that if Lillard is dealt to a team other than Miami, he is expected to request another trade to the Heat.

Wojnarowski noted that the Heat's involvement in trade talks could change in "one moment with one call."

The Blazers appear to be "trying to get a deal done before training camp," Wojnarowski said. That report echoes ESPN's Brian Windhorst, who said Thursday on the "Behind the Play" podcast (h/t Hoops Rumors) that the Blazers wanted a deal done before camp.

Wojnarowski had previously reported Portland would be most likely to find a suitable deal for Lillard after the first 20 or 25 games of the season.

Teams by then would be more knowledgable about holes tin their roster and their chances of title contention, which could help Portland facilitate a multi-team trade.

Instead, however, the Blazers are reportedly attempting to put multiple teams together on a trade before the season starts.

"You have Portland trying to not only talk to teams who have an interest in Lillard, but lots of teams who would like to get in on a bigger deal," Wojnarowski said. "Can they pick up a couple draft picks, take on some money, is there a need that they have that they can get in three- or four-team trade?"

"Portland, they are exhausting all of those conversations this week."

Blazers training camp begins October 2, while the 2023-24 season begins with an October 12 preseason contest against the Phoenix Suns.

There are conflicting reports as to Lillard's likelihood of participating in a post-trade training camp. The Oregonian's Aaron Fentress said Lillard will report to training camp, no matter what team he is playing for, while The Athletic's Shams Charania reported he would only show up to camp in Portland or Miami.

There hasn't been much urgency from the Portland Trail Blazers to trade star point guard Damian Lillard, but that reportedly could change soon.

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald confirmed a report that Portland is hoping to have a deal in place for the right price by the start of training camp on Oct. 3:

Lillard is hoping to be traded to the Miami Heat, but Portland has yet to receive an offer it deemed worthy of sending away its face of the franchise, which has opened the door for other teams to try to acquire the 33-year-old floor general.

Jackson and Anthony Chiang reported on Wednesday that the Blazers' "recent focus has been discussions with other teams, not Miami." However, they noted that "If Lillard is traded to a team other than Miami, he is expected to ask to be traded to the Heat."

Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups addressed Lillard's status and admitted the unresolved nature of trade negotiations could be a distraction.

"Obviously it's unsettling, it's difficult," Billups told Steve Aschburner of NBA.com. "But for me, all I can do, I'm responsible for giving my best to who we have. I don't know how it's going to play out. There's nothing I can do to control it. But I do know who we have on our team right now and who I've been working with this summer. Who I'm excited about. All I can really do is pour myself into our guys. And see what happens whenever that happens."

Time is running out for the Blazers to secure a deal for the seven-time All-Star, as it could create an awkward situation if he's still on the roster by training camp.