NBA Rumors: Damian Lillard Had Interest in Warriors Trade Before Chris Paul Deal
Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard was reportedly interested in joining the Golden State Warriors before the Dubs traded for point guard Chris Paul.
ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported that news on 95.7 The Game's Willard & Dibs show.
Lillard has requested a trade after 11 years in Portland. The seven-time All-Star's "preferred destination" is the Miami Heat, per Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes.
Other teams that have interest in Lillard include the Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Warriors' trade for Paul occurred on June 22, or nine days before Blazers general manager Joe Cronin released a statement acknowledging Lillard's trade request. There were murmurs that Lillard could be asking for a trade this offseason, and that ultimately came to fruition one day after free agency began.
Ultimately, the Warriors decided to keep their core in place and add Paul to the mix. Meanwhile, Lillard is looking for a new home, and it's unclear where that might be.
Miami obviously has significant interest in Lillard, but Cronin stated that he would do what's best for the team in light of the request. In other words, if Miami doesn't offer the best trade package, Lillard should presumably be heading elsewhere.
For now, it's a wait-and-see game with Lillard, while the Warriors pretty much appear set for 2023-24 after the blockbuster Paul deal.
