The Toronto Raptors are unwilling to make the necessary sacrifice in order to acquire Damian Lillard. As many NBA fans should be aware by now, the Portland Trail Blazers star has been given an incredible amount of attention from the media and basketball community after requesting a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers.
Although Lillard made it clear that he wanted to join Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat, he was forced to take back his request after the NBA sent out a stern warning preventing stars from forcing their way to specific teams if they wanted to be traded.
Therefore, every team in the NBA now has a fair chance to secure Lillard. While the Raptors could certainly use a star point guard on their roster, recent reports from a senior NBA Insider reveal that the team isn’t willing to do what it takes to acquire Dame. With that being said, let us take a closer look and find out more.
The Toronto Raptors are unwilling to trade away Scottie Barnes for Damian Lillard
Basketball fans are beginning to grow tired of all the constant trade discussions and rumors that have been surrounding Lillard throughout this long NBA offseason. Although no trade has actually materialized and come to fruition, several NBA experts and members of the basketball community continue to discuss this issue and are attempting to speak it into reality.
— Basketballismyreligion (@basketballimr) September 21, 2023
NBA Insider Zach Lowe recently sent out a statement revealing that the Toronto Raptors were unwilling to include Scottie Barnes in a potential trade package for Damian Lillard. Not many fans were very surprised to hear this report.
“I don’t think Toronto would consider moving Scottie Barnes in a Damian Lillard trade.”
– Zach Lowe
(h/t @BasketballOnX ) pic.twitter.com/3YPlo0tJuu
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 21, 2023
Although Barnes is yet to prove himself as a certified star in the league, he has undoubtedly shown to be a young talent with the potential to carry the Raptors back into relevance in the near future. Throughout his two-year career in the NBA, Scottie has averaged a solid 15.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. More importantly, he is listed as 6’9 and is just 21 years old.
Therefore, it makes sense for the Raptors to decline to trade away the young star they drafted even if it means acquiring Damian Lillard. We look forward to finding out if there is any other team across the league willing to pay the high price that the Portland Trail Blazers are expecting for Damian Lillard.
