Trail Blazers in No Rush to Make Damian Lillard Trade, per Report

The Trail Blazers are reportedly exploring the marketplace looking for better deals.

The biggest storyline this NBA offseason apparently won’t be coming to an end anytime soon. While appearing on SportsCenter on Tuesday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was reporting on the timeline for a potential Damian Lillard trade, and he started by saying “we could be doing this ‘til Labor Day.”

The NBA insider reiterated his earlier reporting that Lillard wants to be dealt to the Heat but the Trail Blazers are not “enthralled” by what Miami has to offer. Portland is currently exploring the marketplace and is looking for more, according to Wojnarowski, who added “it’s going to take some time for this marketplace to develop.”

Even if the Trail Blazers were to send Lillard to the Heat, they’d need a third team to add to the trade to take Miami’s Tyler Herro in the hypothetical deal, according to Wojnarowski. All in all, a trade won’t be happening anytime soon. Lillard didn’t deny that he requested a trade when he addressed the criticism he has been receiving from fans on Sunday, asking if he has “mislead” anyone. 

Lillard, 32, is a seven-time All Star and was named as one of the 75 greatest NBA players this past winter. He averaged 32.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists during the 2022–23 season.