New Damian Lillard Rumor Throws Cold Water on Jazz Prospects

The Utah Jazz can get in on the Damian Lillard deal in more ways than one.

The NBA rumor mill continues to be centered around Damian Lillard. The latest comes from SportsNaut's Mark Medina, who reported that Lillard won’t report to any other team but the Miami Heat in an attempt to strong-arm his way into his preferred destination.

"‘He just wouldn’t go,’ a person familiar with Lillard’s thinking told Sportsnaut. ‘He just wouldn’t report.'… ‘I don’t think the other team would trade for him knowing that he doesn’t want to be there,’ the person familiar with Lillard’s thinking told Sportsnaut. ‘He’s a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, so they should respect his wishes.”

Lillard might not be doing himself any favors if this is true. Would this deter the Utah Jazz from getting in on the bidding for the seven-time All-Star? 

That remains to be seen, but this move could backfire on Lillard if it suppresses the market to a point where the Portland Trail Blazers can’t get what they deem as equal value back. Lillard still has three years on his current deal, which puts Portland in a position where it can play the waiting game. 

Also, the reports of the Jazz being interested in Lillard appear to be lukewarm at best. According to ESPN's NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, no offers have been made from Utah’s camp.

“The Jazz made a call to check on Lillard, sources said, but that isn't a significant development,” Wojnarowski wrote. “An offer would be a development. First, the Jazz must consider if Lillard's timeline at nearly 33 years old makes sense for their young team --- and could they acquire him at a reasonable cost to stay flexible for the next young star who becomes available in trades?”

Lillard not fitting into Utah’s championship timeline doesn’t mean the Jazz can’t get involved in a potential exchange. The rumors that Portland has no interest in Heat guard Tyler Herro could mean that a third team will have to step in and help facilitate a deal. 

ESPN's Bobby Marks touched on the possibility of just this happening when he joined ESPN 700's The Bill Riley Show. 

“If you’re a team that’s not interested in Damian Lillard, but do we have interest in Tyler Herro — do we have interest at in another young player,” Marks said. “How can we help facilitate here? I think that’s doing your due diligence. Whether it be Brooklyn? Whether it be San Antonio? Whether it be some of these other teams? Just because you’re calling Portland doesn’t mean you’ll be interested in Damian Lillard. It could be that you’re interested in being a third or fourth team facilitator and see if you can get something else out of this deal.”

The Jazz acquiring Herro through a Lillard trade doesn’t make a lot of sense from this point of view. Currently, Utah has a log jam at both guard spots as we approach the new season. 

If a three-way trade were to occur, one would have to assume that Collin Sexton would be part of the equation. Considering that Sexton’s contract leans more on the team-friendly side, it feels acquiring Herro would be a lateral move at best. 

Jazz fans can anticipate the Lillard rumors to drag throughout the summer with these latest developments.

---

Follow Inside The Jazz on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe on YouTube for breaking Jazz news videos and live-stream podcasts!