LAS VEGAS – What’s the latest on Damian Lillard? That continues to be the first question everyone is asking each other at NBA Summer League. The hype surrounding first overall pick Victor Wembanyama stole the attention over the week, yet Lillard’s situation remains unresolved with no clear timetable presented. As a result, front offices around the league have been put on pause for the most part, contemplating what their next move will be should Lillard get his wish and end up on the Miami Heat.
Landing in Miami is still no forgone conclusion. Portland Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin has made it very clear that the team will be doing everything they can while evaluating all of their options at this time. With Lillard requesting a trade, they will not only be working with him and his representation, but the Blazers also are not going to just trade him for the sake of doing so. As the face of the franchise since being drafted sixth overall in 2012, Lillard holds a lot of value given his consistent All-NBA status.
“I think what I have learned more than anything is that patience is critical,” Cronin told reporters at Summer League on Monday when asked about Damian Lillard's trade request and ongoing talks. “Don’t be reactive, don’t jump at things just to seemingly solve a problem. I think the teams that have ended up in the most positive situation post-trade have been the ones that have been very diligent and taken their time and not been impulsive or, you know, the teams that really kept their urgency under control. That’s how my approach has been with this and will be with this, as we are going to be patient, we are going to do what’s best for our team and we are going to see how this lands. If it takes months, it takes months.”
The Blazers executive also mentioned how the entire organization has nothing but respect for their superstar point guard and want to keep all options open, including keeping Lillard heading into the 2023-24 season.
The Blazers want to be patient with this matter in order to capitalize on the value they get in return for one of the league’s best guards and true scorers. This is why trade conversations pertaining to Lillard and Portland could very much drag into training camp and quite possibly into the start of the new season. Many around the league do not believe Lillard is the type of player to hold out and potentially sit out games if he doesn't get his wish this offseason, a similar mindset to what happened with the Brooklyn Nets and superstar Kevin Durant. Last offseason, Durant had privately requested a trade from the Nets and had the Phoenix Suns as his top choice. Ultimately, a deal was not made until the trade deadline, over six months after he initially decided he wanted to move on from the Nets.
With multiple teams pursuing Damian Lillard and his value not declining any time soon, the Blazers are in the driver’s seat in trade negotiations and can really make the most of their current situation. Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe are the future of this team’s backcourt, while Jerami Grant remains with the team after putting pen to paper on his new five-year, $160 million contract that was recently announced at Summer League. The Trail Blazers have time and know they can maximize their potential return, so patience will result in them taking two steps forward after an initial step backwards – that step backwards being the fact that they are trading a top-15 player in the league.
The Heat's Damian Lillard waiting game
On the other side of things, the Heat are wanting to trade for Damian Lillard right now in order to fill out the rest of their roster. This offseason has not been kind to Pat Riley and the Eastern Conference champion Heat, as the departures of Gabe Vincent, Max Strus and Cody Zeller have resulted in Miami’s secondary unit taking a massive hit.
Vincent and Strus alone combined for just over 17 percent of the team’s total offensive production during the regular season, and Vincent really held things down in the backcourt when Kyle Lowry was absent due to injuries. During free agency, the Heat never exceeded an offer over more than $8.5 million per year to retain their undrafted guard, sources told ClutchPoints, which is why the Los Angeles Lakers were able to land him on a three-year, $33 million contract. Having the opportunity to lead Los Angeles’ backcourt and really become a factor in pick-and-roll sets with All-Star big man Anthony Davis, the stage is set for Vincent to have the best season of his career.
The Lakers' next move?
The Lakers entered the offseason with the goal of retaining most of their roster while figuring out ways to add more dynamic talent by utilizing the options on Malik Beasley and Mo Bamba’s contracts. While Beasley and Bamba wound up walking on cheap deals, the mission has been a success overall with Vincent, Cam Reddish, Taurean Prince and Jaxson Hayes all joining the organization. This offseason is not done just yet for the Lakers, though, as they continue to evaluate the free agent market for players willing to accept a minimum contract to contend for a title. One name that has been whispered throughout the concourse of Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas has been Christian Wood.
With the Dallas Mavericks this past season, Wood played in a total of 67 games, averaging 16.6 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 51.5 percent from the floor and 37.6 percent from three-point range. Having the ability to step out on the perimeter and knock down shots, the potential of a Wood-Davis frontcourt is what has drawn the Lakers’ attention.
The Sacramento Kings and Heat are two other teams to keep an eye on regarding Wood still being a free agent. Miami will have open roster spots to fill in the event it can pull off a trade for Lillard, while the Kings could benefit from adding a scoring big man for depth in their frontcourt. Everything hinders on if Wood is willing to accept a minimum contract, though, as he is not expected to see any other offers at this point in the summer.
Pascal Siakam trade rumors heat up
Aside from the Heat’s fantasy of getting a Damian Lillard trade done with the Blazers during this next week in Las Vegas, many conversations pertaining to trades we may see develop spiral back to the Toronto Raptors. Fred VanVleet’s departure did come as a shock to many within the Raptors organization, sources said, and there is a sense that more moves are on the horizon for Toronto. Scottie Barnes is not going anywhere anytime soon, as the Raptors intend on him being the future of the organization. Pascal Siakam would like to remain with Toronto and has made his intentions of wanting to sign a contract extension clear over the last year.
No extension talks have been held as Siakam continues to be the center of attention in calls the Raptors are receiving, sources said. The Atlanta Hawks have been the main driving force in trade conversations pertaining to the Raptors’ All-Star forward, and both Sportsnet's Michael Grange and NBA insider Marc Stein recently reported that the Indiana Pacers have joined the bidding for Siakam.
The Raptors, however, league sources told ClutchPoints, are not necessarily sold on the idea of trading their star big man right now. If a deal were to happen, the Raptors are looking to bring back young talents who can play alongside the likes of O.G. Anunoby and Barnes moving forward. Every team in the league covets first-round draft picks, but Toronto is not looking to rebuild whatsoever. This is where things have not balanced for Toronto, as trading Siakam may not ultimately make them better.
What's up with James Harden?
Besides Damian Lillard and Pascal Siakam, James Harden finds himself as the other prominent name in trade talks right now. Harden decided to opt into his $35.6 million player option with the Philadelphia 76ers, paving a path for him to work with the organization on a potential trade. Much like the Heat’s pursuit of Lillard, the Los Angeles Clippers quickly looked to pursue Harden ahead of the start of free agency, sources said.
Philadelphia and president Daryl Morey are not too keen on the idea of giving up the former league MVP just yet, as they traded for him and paired him with 2022-23 MVP Joel Embiid in order to contend for a championship. Those were the expectations then, and they continue to be the expectations now.
Restricted free agency
Free agency continues to wind down with teams looking ahead to training camp and the eventual start of the new season. Paul Reed, Matisse Thybulle and Grant Williams were three key restricted free agents this offseason, with only one of them, Williams, departing for a new team. P.J. Washington and Ayo Dosunmu remain restricted free agents with their futures unknown at this time.
With other forwards finding new homes and no team offering him a lot of money on a potential offer sheet, Washington’s return to the Charlotte Hornets is looking more and more likely, sources said. A long-term deal does not seem likely at this time, though, which has led many to believe that Washington will accept the qualifying offer Charlotte extended to him in order to become an unrestricted free agent next offseason.
For Dosunmu, the door presenting a return to the Chicago Bulls has not been closed just yet despite Jevon Carter signing a three-year deal with the team. Unless he is willing to accept a near-minimum contract, it is likely that Dosunmu is in a similar boat to that of Washington regarding his qualifying offer. Originally mentioned to be a possible suitor for Dosunmu, the Raptors now seem like an unlikely destination after adding both Dennis Schroder and Jalen McDaniels in free agency.
Summer League standouts
Summer League rolls on as the NBA waits for the Damian Lillard and James Harden trade situations to play out, but it has not been one of the top picks that has stolen the show. From this year’s rookie class, Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George has put together two dazzling offensive performances of 33 points and 26 points, most recently on Monday evening. The Jazz were eyeing George throughout the pre-draft process and were able to land him with the 16th overall selection. Now, he has a chance to truly contend for the starting point guard spot in Utah.
Leonard Miller from the Minnesota Timberwolves is another rookie who flew under the radar and has really made the most of his time in Las Vegas. A big-bodied forward who has displayed a strong shooting form on the perimeter, Miller has not backed down to anyone thus far and has shown that he can be a strong rebounder on either end of the floor. It is unlikely that he will be a part of the Timberwolves’ main rotation right away, but Miller is certainly a player they are high on.
Looking at the Houston Rockets, they have two second-year players in Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason who are both ready to take a massive step forward. Smith not only hit a game-winning three to cap off his 33-point debut in Summer League this year, but he followed this performance up with 38 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the team’s second game against the Detroit Pistons. Eason has been just as good as Smith, recording two 20-point games and nearly recording back-to-back double-doubles. The Rockets made some big moves this offseason, and new head coach Ime Udoka has himself a roster that is ready to compete and rise from the bottom of the Western Conference.
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