Damian Lillard is interested in joining the Miami Heat and he reportedly has no interest in being traded to another team. The likelihood that Lillard joins the Heat decreases as this situation continues. He might have to consider other options at some point.
Dame continues to rank among the NBA’s top point guards. There is no arguing that the seven-time All-Star will be in high demand on the trade market due to his talent. In addition, Lillard also wants to compete for the title. He must be able to envision alternative scenarios where he could accomplish that. What about the New Orleans Pelicans?
According to John Hollinger of The Athletic, a former league official, the Pelicans are a serious candidate to land the star guard if they decide to make a bid.“It would be ironic to trade McCollum and Nance back to Portland since that’s almost certainly what this would entail to create a salary match,” Hollinger wrote.
He continued, “There is a case to be made for kicking the tires on this, even though it’s not Lillard’s first choice. He’s signed for four more years, so his leverage is fairly limited. And the Pels can create a winning package with their future picks and young players; there is no question they can outbid the rest of the market.”
If this were the case, the Blazers wouldn’t be granting Lillard’s desire for a trade. It will be interesting to watch if the Blazers comply with that request.
How will Damian Lillard affect the New Orleans Pelicans’ roster if he gets traded?
Hollinger presented a hypothetical package that included C.J. McCollum and Larry Nance Jr. returning to Portland to make wages work, as well as some young players and draft money. Right now, some Blazers fans are sweating. Are they actually bringing McCollum back? McCollum is here to match contracts. Meanwhile, if the Pelicans get Lillard, they’d want to keep Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.
Yes, the Pelicans are young as well. They are not designed with freshmen and sophomores in mind. Both Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson are accomplished players. Yes, there are health issues with Williamson and the Pelicans should be worried. Having stated that they must act as though he will be in good health.
The Pelicans are still the underdog in all of this right now. But depending on how this story turns out, they might have a chance to accomplish something significant.