Portland Trail Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers have reportedly dialed up their efforts to trade Damian Lillard with the 2023-24 season approaching.

During an appearance on Friday's episode of NBA Today, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski discussed the team increasing discussions with multiple teams during the last two weeks:

"My sense is that the Blazers have done a lot more talking with teams in the last say, 10-14 days than they did probably in at least a month-plus prior. A big part of that is the league is back to work now after Labor Day and training camp is starting to approach, and that's the next real deadline in this process. But I think Portland, what they've been trying to do is see how they can put together multi-team deals that would get them the assets that they would want. Draft picks, young players, there might be a team that their best asset is a veteran player that doesn't interest the Blazers, but there's a third team who might want to take on that veteran and then send, whether it's a young player or picks in part to Portland. So I think they've been in communication with a lot of teams, trying to find a structure of a deal that can get them a Damian Lillard trade. We'll see now how much traction they can get between now and the start of camp."

The question for Portland is how much leverage it truly has given the fact Lillard hasn't exactly made it a secret he prefers to go to the Miami Heat in any trade.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported on Monday that the guard would only attend training camp for the Trail Blazers or Heat. What's more, he would want to be traded again if Portland moved him to a team outside of Miami.

The report certainly turned heads, as the NBA issued a memo in July to every team saying it had interviewed Lillard and his agent, Aaron Goodwin, and providing assurances that the guard would play for whichever team traded for him.

Even with that memo as backdrop, other teams may understandably be hesitant to give up significant assets for Lillard if there is even a shred of doubt about how willing he would be to suit up for them and attend training camp given his desire to be in Miami.

For now, the seven-time All-Star remains with the Trail Blazers and under team control until he has a player option in 2026-27.

Yet Portland may want to rebuild around draft picks and young talent. Wojnarowski even discussed how that would be the focus in any trade for Lillard, and having the veteran on the floor could lead to worse draft picks down the line because he would likely lead the team to some wins even if a championship run isn't a realistic probability.

The Lillard situation has dominated NBA headlines for much of the offseason, and Portland apparently hasn't given up on its efforts to move him.

As the wait for a Damian Lillard trade continues, it seems increasingly clear that the Portland Trail Blazers may not get the type of return for arguably the best player in franchise history that fans would expect.

Per ESPN's Tim Bontemps, the type of deal that the Utah Jazz got by sending Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves last offseason "simply doesn't exist" for the Blazers with Lillard.

It's not a huge surprise that Portland may have to "settle" on a trade if a deal eventually comes together.

The Gobert trade was widely panned for the Timberwolves as soon as it happened. Minnesota sent four first-round draft picks, a 2026 pick swap and five players, including 2022 first-round pick Walker Kessler, to Utah for the three-time All-Star.

ESPN's Kevin Pelton gave the T-Wolves a D grade for the trade primarily because of the concerns about what the roster around Gobert, Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns would look like and how expensive the core group will become soon.

Even though most analysts would argue Lillard is a much better player than Gobert at this point in their careers and he's capable of taking over games in a way Gobert isn't, there are plenty of reasons why that kind of offer likely won't be made to the Blazers.

For starters, Lillard's camp has been making it clear he only wants to play for the Miami Heat. The Lillard-Heat discussion got so much attention the NBA had to issue a memo to all 30 teams warning that Lillard could be subject to discipline if his camp kept saying he only wants to join the Heat.

If there is only one serious suitor in a trade negotiation, there is no motivation for that team to go all-in with an offer like the Timberwolves did for Gobert.

Another reason the trade return may not be significant is Lillard's age and salary. It's not unfair to wonder how much longer he's going to be a great player. He turned 33 years old on July 15 and has only played 87 games over the past two seasons combined.

Even factoring in the Blazers shut Lillard down late in the 2022-23 season when they were jockeying for lottery position, he's still at an age when injuries are more likely to keep happening.

Lillard is owed $152.98 million over the next three seasons plus a $63.2 million player option for 2026-27. He's more than capable of being worth that investment after averaging a career-high 32.2 points per game in 58 starts last season.

But this doesn't mean that teams will be looking to mortgage their entire future in a smaller point guard entering his age-33 season with 830 games between the regular season and playoffs under his belt.

With the face of the franchise on his way out for the Portland Trail Blazers, his successor is getting a crash course in how to ingratiate himself to the fanbase.

Rookie guard Scoot Henderson told Orlando Sanchez of KGW he's already loving life in Portland. He called the city "pretty dope" said he's feeling plenty of support from Blazers fans.

While the Damian Lillard saga continues to drag on with little in the way of tangible progress, the seven-time All-Star will probably be in a different uniform sooner or later. When that happens, Henderson will have massive shoes to fill.

Beyond replicating Lillard's impact on the court, the 19-year-old will carry the hopes of the organization on his shoulders. As tough as the former is, the latter can be just as difficult to navigate at times.

Think back to when a young Cleveland Cavaliers fan asked Kyrie Irving as a rookie if he would leave Northeast Ohio like LeBron James did. Irving assured the fan he "won't leave." At least that fan got to see the Cavs win a title before Irving requested a trade in 2017.

For Henderson, the challenge might be even bigger because of how much Lillard identified with the city of Portland and embraced the region. His connection with Portland is deeper than what a star athlete typically shares with his home market.

Expecting Henderson to develop the same kind of bond is putting a little too much on his plate. For now, he's certainly saying the right things.

The 2023-24 NBA season is right around the corner, and Damian Lillard remains a member of the Portland Trail Blazers despite reportedly requesting a trade from the franchise in July.

While Lillard reportedly still prefers to be traded to the Miami Heat, he "would show up to his new team, do his job and play to the best of his abilities" if he were dealt to a destination other than South Beach, according to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian.

"But his desire to go to Miami, sources say, would not dissipate," Fentress added. "As [NBA insider Shams] Charania stated, that trade demand would still exist. He would be seeking to get out of wherever he found himself the day he arrived."

Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Monday that Lillard would only report to training camp as a member of the Trail Blazers or Heat. He added that if Lillard were to be moved to a team other than the Heat that his trade request would likely still stand.

Charania also reported that he expects talks between Portland and Miami to pick up again with training camp on the horizon.

Lillard's interest in playing alongside Jimmy Butler in Miami is well-documented, and other teams around the league are likely not interested in acquiring the superstar due to the risk of him still being unhappy.

Lillard, through his representation, had been vocal this summer about only wanting to play for the Heat. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on July 6 that his agent had been calling teams and telling franchises "outside of Miami that trading for Lillard is trading for an unhappy player."

The 33-year-old's fixation on the Heat has been so strong that the NBA sent a memo to all 30 teams on July 28 to address the situation, writing that "any future comments, made privately to teams or publicly, suggesting Lillard will not fully perform the services called for under his player contract in the event of a trade will subject Lillard to discipline by the NBA."

Lillard has spent his entire 11-year career in Portland, and the Trail Blazers have never been considered true title contenders during his tenure. With the veteran's time in the NBA ticking, it's no surprise he wants to move on in hopes of winning a championship.

With NBA training camp just around the corner, the clock continues to tick on a potential Damian Lillard trade from the Portland Trail Blazers.

But it seems like the the seven-time All-Star is remaining firm on his desire to only want to be traded to the Miami Heat with The Athletic's Shams Charania reporting Monday that the only training camps that Lillard would attend would be with the either the Heat or Trail Blazers.

Charania also reported that he believes Lillard's trade request would stand if he were to be sent to an organization other than Miami.

While negotiations between Portland and the Heat have been slow since Lillard made his trade request on July 1, it appears that the two sides plan to re-engage in negotiations prior to the start of training camp over the next couple of weeks, per Charania.

Miami has already made an offer to Portland earlier in the offseason that included three to four first-round picks, Tyler Herro and a young player but the Trail Blazers have been unwilling to work with that.

The belief has always been that there would likely have to be a third team involved in the deal to take Herro as Portland doesn't seem too keen on adding the former Sixth Man of the Year to its current young, talented backcourt.

However, Miami has reportedly grown frustrated throughout the process as the Trail Blazers haven't been too cooperative in negotiations, according to Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes.

"Portland is telling them to bring them their best offer. Miami would like to know, what does Portland want, and Miami is not getting that answer," Haynes said on a past episode of the "#thisleague UNCUT" podcast. "So they think things would be moving a little bit quicker if Portland was saying exactly what it is they want.

"...So far, the communication is just not there. So that's making this situation rather frustrating on this side for Miami."

Charania latest report also gives even more credence to teams around the league that have been "uncomfortable" with the prospect of trading for a disgruntled superstar that may not want to join them.

Kevin Knox is returning to the Portland Trail Blazers in 2023-24.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported that the forward signed a one-year deal with the team.

Knox averaged 6.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 66 games in 2022-23 but saw a rise in production after a midseason trade to Portland. He averaged 8.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 21 games and was playing 17.1 minutes per game.

Knox was the No. 9 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft but has not quite lived up to that billing. He is currently on his fourth team after stints with the New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks and Detroit Pistons before being moved to the Trail Blazers.

He has career averages of 7.5 points and 2.9 rebounds while playing around 18 minutes a night. He made 57 starts during his rookie season but has strictly had a bench role since.

Still, he is just 24-years-old and could see a chance to turn the tide on his career with the Trail Blazers. The team appears to be in rebuild mode after a 33-49 season. Superstar guard Damian Lillard requested a trade out of town and it appears that a future around 2023 No. 3 pick Scoot Henderson may be the future course of action for the team.

Knox and the Trail Blazers can now look toward the season, with or without Lillard, and prepare for the season opener October 25 against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Both the Portland Trail Blazers and Damian Lillard are prepared to start the season without an answer to Lillard's trade request, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

"This is an organization that is fully prepared, and I think Damian Lillard perhaps is also prepared for the possibility, that this training camp may start with him in camp," Wojnarowski said on Thursday's episode of NBA Today. "And then if you're the Blazers you wait and see what happens in the first 20, 25 games of the season to see what direction teams go in."

That wait could help the Blazers facilitate a multi-team deal, "which is what a Damian Lillard trade might look like," Wojnarowski said.

Wojnarowski's comments begin at the 1:15 mark of the video below.

The Blazers confirmed in early July that Lillard had requested a trade after 11 seasons and seven All-Star campaigns with the organization.

After 20 to 25 games of the 2023-24 season, "teams may become interested who weren't interested now, and teams who are interested may be willing to give more in trades," Wojnarowski said.

Wojnarowski's analysis lines up with general manager Joe Cronin's comments during a press conference in July, when he said the Blazers were willing to wait "months" for a satisfactory Lillard trade.

"I think the teams that have ended up in the most positive situations post-trade have been the ones that have been really diligent in taking their time and not been impulsive, or the teams that really kept their urgency under control," Cronin said. "We're going to be patient. We're going to do what's best for our team. We're going to see how this lands. And if it takes months, it takes months."

Lillard averaged a career-best 32.2 points per game last season. He said in April, after the Trail Blazers missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season, that he wanted the Blazers to prioritize competing now over developing young talent, The Athletic's Jason Quick reported.

Then, instead of packaging the No. 3 overall pick in a pre-draft trade, the Blazers drafted Scoot Henderson. Nine days later, Lillard requested a trade.

The Oregonian's Aaron Fentress reported in July that the Blazers were looking for "in the neighborhood of four first-round picks and two quality players" for Lillard, but that "accomplishing that could require adding a third team to the equation."

According to Wojnarowski, the Blazers' best chances of setting up that three-team trade will come in November.

There hasn't been any "meaningful dialogue" of late in regards to the Portland Trail Blazers' attempts to deal seven-time All-NBA guard Damian Lillard, who has requested a trade and reportedly covets a move to the Miami Heat.

"I've heard there's been nothing, I mean, like no meaningful dialogue at all," ESPN's Zach Lowe said on the Lowe Post podcast (h/t Real GM).

ESPN's Bobby Marks, who was on the podcast with Lowe, added: "There have been no conversations. It's been very quiet certainly from the Miami front," Marks said (h/t Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints). "I think the only way we hear more about Dame is if Dame makes it messy. And I don't think Damian Lillard right now is willing to make it messy in Portland."

All signs point to Lillard wanting to go to the defending Eastern Conference champions. He'd be a great fit in Miami while forming a new big three alongside Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, and heading to South Florida would give Lillard a much better chance at winning an NBA title, something that has eluded him over his career.

The problem is that the Heat don't seem like good trading partners on paper, with the Blazers notably uninterested in a hypothetical package centered around Tyler Herro.

Blazers general manager Joe Cronin has also made it very clear that he will wait as long as he needs to in order to find the best possible return.

The clock is ticking at this point. Portland is set to begin training camp soon, and the preseason starts Oct. 10. The regular season gets going Oct. 25 for Portland at the Los Angeles Clippers.

Damian Lillard may want the Portland Trail Blazers to trade him, but Dame D.O.L.L.A seems to still want to perform in the city.

Lillard crashed a Portland wedding over the weekend to perform for a bride and groom during their reception.

TMZ Sports reported the couple, Jay and Kelly Virdee, met in Portland six years ago and are huge fans of Lillard. The Virdees and Lillard have a mutual friend, rapper Dreebo, who brought out the All-Star guard as a surprise.

Lillard has been attempting to force a trade to the Miami Heat since early July. He's spent his first 11 seasons with the Blazers, becoming arguably the greatest player in franchise history in the process.

While Lillard wants to end his pro basketball career in South Beach, it's clear he's still giving some love to the Blazers fans who have been around since the beginning.

In his first interview since requesting a trade to the Miami Heat, Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard isn't saying much.

"I can say that there was [a trade request] and I would just prefer not to speak on the Trail Blazers," Lillard told Marc J. Spears of Andscape.

The All-Star guard asked for a trade in July and has been adamant about his desire to play for the Heat. While Portland continues to explore the trade market, there has not been much movement in fulfilling Lillard's request.

Blazers general manager Joe Cronin told reporters he would be willing to wait "months" for the right trade.

"I think what I've learned more than anything is patience is critical," Cronin said. "Don't be reactive. Don't jump at things just to seemingly solve a problem. I think the teams that have ended up in the most positive situations post-trade have been the ones that have been really diligent in taking their time and not been impulsive, or the teams that really kept their urgency under control.

"So I think that's how my approach has been with this and will be with this. We're going to be patient; we're going to do what's best for our team. We're going to see how this lands. And if it takes months, it takes months."

No details on trade packages offered by Miami have emerged, but it would stand to reason Tyler Herro, Nikola Jovic and 2023 first-round pick Jaime Jaquez Jr. would be included along with multiple future first-round picks.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski has reported the Blazers do not have interest in Herro and would want to reroute him to a third team. Herro is heading into the first season of a four-year, $120 million contract, and it's clear Portland does not want any parts of that deal and wants assets it could get in return for Herro.

That alone is enough to throw a monkey wrench into trade talks.

Lillard acknowledging his trade request could lead to punishment from the NBA given public requests are prohibited in the collective bargaining agreement.