Damian Lillard Rumors: Bulls Eyeing Blazers PG; Zach LaVine Linked in 3-Team Trade

There have been recent rumblings about a mystery Eastern Conference trying to get into the mix to trade for wantaway superstar Damian Lillard, despite most reports linking him with a desired move to the Miami Heat.

Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports said Wednesday on the PHLY Sixers Podcast that he was hearing the Chicago Bulls were that team (2:30 mark) and that star guard Zach LaVine might be involved in a prospective deal:

"The team that I've heard—I've made some calls, talked to some people—that is kind of the wild card, getting-into-the-mix team, is the Bulls. I know that the Bulls, throughout this offseason—LaVine's name has been thrown into the rumor mill a little bit. The Bulls shot that down publicly. The suggestion has been out there that if, or when, they trade LaVine that they would want a star-level return, young players, picks, things with upside as they start to retool and reimagine their roster. What I have heard in the last few days is that it looks like they might be trying to move LaVine as part of a multi-team deal to see if they can get into the Dame Lillard sweepstakes."

That the Bulls would move LaVine in the Lillard pursuit is interesting, considering the 28-year-old is arguably Chicago's best player. Generally speaking, teams try to pair an incoming star with their current best players to build a super team.

But perhaps the Bulls don't feel they have the assets to build a Lillard-LaVine-DeMar DeRozan core and instead will need to move off LaVine to facilitate such a move.

The alternative is that the Bulls are ready to move off the LaVine-DeRozan pairing and the younger LaVine holds more trade value. There were also rumors in January that LaVine was questioning his role in Chicago and his standing with the team, and it's possible that the star guard and Bulls are no longer on the same page.

Given the team's disappointing 40-42 season, that saw them fail to reach the playoffs, it wouldn't come as a huge surprise.

There is also the question of whether Lillard would even be happy in Chicago. Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reported Wednesday that "if Lillard is traded to a team other than Miami, he is expected to ask to be traded to the Heat."

Just because Lillard wants to play for the Heat doesn't mean the team has the assets to make a fair trade to land him, of course. Unless the Heat find a way to sweeten their potential trade packages, neither the Blazers or a team like the Bulls who acquires Lillard are going to be inclined to deal him to Miami.

Such is the central issue in this ongoing saga. Chicago entering the mix would certainly add a fascinating dynamic.