The Blazers will not make any gift to Damian Lillard, who has requested his transfer, and they will not sell him off. This is the message that the leaders seem to want to convey, and it is ESPN which echoes it. They know that their “franchise player” wants to join the Heat, but there is no question of recovering second-tier players. The only solution: set up an exchange in a triangle. This is what the Wizards and the Suns did in two stages as part of the transfer of Bradley Beal, with the addition of the Warriors to recover Chris Paul.
“The Nets open to the idea of a trade”
According SNY.tvthe Nets could be that 3rd franchise, and that’s Tyler Herro who could unlock everything.
“Negotiations around Lillard continued on Sunday. Late Saturday afternoon, the Nets were contacted as a potential third team in a trade that would have sent Lillard to Miami” write our colleagues. “It’s unclear if negotiations have progressed, but the Nets would receive Tyler Herro as the third team included in the trade. They would also presumably receive draft picks for helping facilitate the trade. It’s unclear which Nets players were discussed in the three-team trade and whether Brooklyn had any other requirements to complete a deal. But on Saturday night, the Nets were, at least, open to the idea of a trade that would land Herro in Brooklyn. »
Jusuf Nurkic in Lillard’s suitcases?
Herro must know he’s leaving since he changed his bio and photo on his social media. The Heat are no longer mentioned, so they could join Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson in Brooklyn to form a superb young trio. For Portland, the idea would also be to integrate Jusuf Nurkic into the discussions because the fragile pivot must reach 54 million over the next three years, and the Bosnian also seems aware.
If Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson are untouchable, what could the Nets send to Portland? We are talking about a package around Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith and Nic Claxton, and rounds of the Draft. Why not Ben Simmons whose large salary could facilitate the transaction. Will that be enough for the Blazers to push the button?
