Jazz's New Odds of Landing Damian Lillard Revealed

It’s a long shot that Damian Lillard will ever suit up for the Utah Jazz.

The rumors are heating up on the Damian Lillard front, but the odds of him landing in Salt Lake City are a long shot at best. Odd Sharks gives Lillard a 25-1 chance of playing for the Utah Jazz.

Dame to Toronto is HEATING UP!

Next regular season minute played to be for which NBA team?

Miami Heat -250
Portland Trail Blazers +300
Toronto Raptors +400
Los Angeles Clippers +1200
Philadelphia 76ers +1400
Boston Celtics +1600
Brooklyn Nets +1800
Utah Jazz +2500
San Antonio… pic.twitter.com/7TOvb91ZjE

— Odds Shark (@OddsShark) September 26, 2023

On the surface, the Jazz trading for the future Hall-of-Famer never made a lot of sense. A combination of Lillard’s excessive contract, age, and not fitting in Utah’s championship window always made it hard to fathom that a deal would ever happen. 

However, with Jazz CEO Danny Ainge steering the ship, it always felt like it was still in the realm of possibility. The team that’s burst onto the scene this week to obtain Lillard is the Toronto Raptors. 

Odds Shark currently has them at a 3-1 shot of acquiring Lillard’s services. These odds were fueled by ESPN insider Marc Spears dishing the latest earlier this week.

“The hottest name that I’m hearing right now of interest is the Toronto Raptors,” Spears said Monday on NBA Today. “Talked to two really high-ranking team executives, and they said Toronto is the frontrunner.”

This from Marc Spears was noteworthy too:
- Toronto looks like the hottest Dame team because everything else is so quiet
- Blazers like Gradey Dick a lot
- 2 GMs expect Dame will be out of Portland by Media Day, those same GMs predict Dame will be a Raptor pic.twitter.com/HINpOQfrib

— Vivek Jacob (@vivekmjacob) September 25, 2023

That’s an interesting development, considering the Raptors aren’t a team that’s currently built to win a championship. The Miami Heat are still the odds-on favorite to trade for Lillard. 

In order for that to come to fruition, the Jazz may have to get involved as a third team and acquire Tyler Herro, but does that even make sense? Utah already has two dynamic scorers, Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton. 

Considering Herro’s contract (four years/$120 million), the Jazz may be better with the hands that are already on deck. The Lillard saga could be over sooner rather than later, with training camp only one week away.

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