The Toronto Raptors have emerged as the frontrunners to land point guard Damian Lillard in a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers, according to ESPN’s Marc J. Spears. Lillard had demanded a trade in the offseason and reportedly preferred to go to the Miami Heat, but Portland was not going to simply give him what he wanted without getting fair compensation. That has opened the door for other teams to get involved, including the Raptors.
There is an expectation that Dame Lillard will be out of Portland by media day, NBA GMs have told @MarcJSpears pic.twitter.com/um6QRrXg8g
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) September 25, 2023
The Raptors could offer a package centered around Pascal Siakam or Scottie Barnes, although that would significantly hinder Toronto’s title hopes. The Blazers would likely prefer Barnes, who fits better on the roster with Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant. Siakam and Lillard could be a deadly combination, but the Raptors would still need to give up additional assets to appease Portland. First-round pick Gradey Dick and OG Anunoby could also be on the block.
We’ll see if there is actually traction behind this report or if the Blazers are using Toronto as leverage to get the Heat to sweeten their deal. The Heat were previously looking to deliver a package to Portland centered around Tyler Herro, first-round picks Nikola Jovic and Jaime Jaquez and additional salary.