76ers Rumors: Damian Lillard Trade with Blazers Not Ruled Out Despite Heat Buzz

The Philadelphia 76ers might be considering replacing James Harden with another star on offense.

The team "has not ruled out a trade for Lillard entirely," PhillyVoice's Kyle Neubeck reported Thursday.

Neubeck added that "team personnel have consistently underplayed the odds" of a potential trade for Lillard.

Harden opted into his 2023-24 player option to facilitate a trade from Philadelphia, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported last week. Replacing him with Lillard would be an expensive bid for the Sixers. The Blazers want high draft picks and young talent in return for their seven-time All-Star, per Wojnarowski.

Lillard "wants to play for Miami and only Miami," ESPN's Marc Spears reported Wednesday, but he does not have a no-trade clause in his Blazers contract.

Despite the Sixers' continued interest, Neubeck believes "it looks unlikely for Philadelphia to be Lillard's next home" due in part to work by Lillard and his agent, Aaron Goodwin, to emphasize Lillard's desire to join the Heat.

Goodwin is "calling prospective trade partners and warning against trading for his client," Wojnarowski reported.

"Goodwin is telling organizations outside of Miami that trading for Lillard is trading for an unhappy player," Wojnarowski said. "As interference goes, this is a time-honored agent maneuver to depress offers and clear a path to a predetermined destination."

Another wrinkle in a potential bid for the Blazers star is Tyrese Maxey, one of the team's best young players. The 22-year-old averaged 20.3 points, 3.5 assists and 2.9 rebounds while sinking 43.4 percent of his three-pointers last season.

He is also heading into the final year of his rookie deal next season. The Sixers do not plan on extending Maxey this summer for "flexibility" reasons, ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported Friday.

The team still wants Maxey around, however. Philadelphia is reportedly unwilling to trade the young star, even for "prime Michael Jordan," according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst.

Without Maxey, it could be difficult for Philadelphia to compete with other bidders for Lillard. At least five other teams are interested in making a deal with Portland, ESPN's Marc Spears reported.

For those reasons, it seems unlikely Lillard will end up playing alongside Joel Embiid next season—but according to Neubeck, it hasn't been ruled out entirely.