Damian Lillard Rumors: NBA GMs Expect Blazers Star to Be Traded by Next Week

Damian Lillard will forever be a Portland Trail Blazers legend, but he might no longer be with the only NBA team he has ever known as soon as next week.

During an appearance on NBA Today, ESPN's Marc J. Spears reported that multiple general managers around the league "don't expect" the guard to be on the Trail Blazers by Monday's media day ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.

Lillard's trade request and the wide belief that the Miami Heat are his preferred destination has been one of the biggest storylines of the NBA offseason. However, another team outside of Miami has recently emerged as a Lillard suitor.

Sportsnet's Michael Grange reported the Toronto Raptors are "very much in the mix" and could offer a trade package centered around 26-year-old O.G. Anunoby and significant draft capital that would fit Portland's rebuilding focus with younger players and assets.

However, Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reported Lillard could still ask to be traded from his new team to the Heat even if Portland trades him to a destination outside of Miami.

That could create leverage issues for the Trail Blazers if any potential suitor would be under the assumption that Lillard wouldn't be happy there anyway. Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes said Portland is "refusing" to engage the Heat in any trade discussions.

While the situation has dragged on throughout the offseason, there could finally be a conclusion in the coming days. With training camps and preseason games right around the corner, getting Lillard in the building quickly would be an ideal development for whichever team trades for him so he can develop chemistry with his new teammates.

The seven-time All-Star could dramatically swing the overall ceiling for any team. He is 33 years old and hasn't reached the 60-game mark in a season since the 2020-21 campaign, but he averaged a career-high 32.2 points, 7.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 37.1 percent from deep last season.

Whether Miami, Toronto or another team ultimately lands him—and perhaps does so in the coming days—it will be among the most important acquisitions in years.