Haynes on Damian Lillard Trade Rumors: Celtics, Clippers, Pelicans, Wolves Called POR

The Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans and Boston Celtics all reached out to the Portland Trail Blazers to ask about the price to acquire Damian Lillard, according to Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes.

Haynes reported Monday on his #thisleague UNCUT podcast along with co-host Marc Stein (via Brian Robb of MassLive.com) that Lillard's trade request caused teams to engage with the Blazers directly.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Saturday the Miami Heat are Lillard's preferred destination.

Haynes reported on June 18 the Heat were basing part of their offseason plan on the hope the seven-time All-Star would finally push for an exit from Portland. The Athletic's Sam Amick followed up to report the dynamic guard "indeed has serious interest" in Miami.

Unlike Bradley Beal, Lillard doesn't have a no-trade clause that allows him to handpick his next destination, though. There's nothing stopping Blazers general manager Joe Cronin from basically ignoring Lillard's wish list and accepting the best offer on the table.

Doing right by a franchise legend is easier said than done when the stakes are this high.

The absence of a no-trade clause in Lillard's contract along with the fact he's signed for at least three more years could widen the pool of suitors for Portland.

The Miami Herald's Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang wondered, however, whether Lillard's clear interest in the Heat could depress his market a bit:

"But Lillard holds one big leverage card: Other potential suitors know that he wants to play in Miami. So would anyone make a serious offer knowing their team is not his preference, especially considering the money that Lillard is due (four years, $216 million)? That's highly questionable."

A number of contending teams have already exhausted their best trade assets for all-in deals as well. The Timberwolves fall into that category because of their deal for Rudy Gobert last summer. The Clippers likewise sent out a lot of first-round picks to land Paul George and don't have any young stars who would move the needle for Portland.

Once Lillard's trade request was out in the open, there was a sense of relief because everybody knew where things stood. But the saga could continue to drag on for days or weeks depending on how resolute Cronin and the front office remain.