Damian Lillard Would Prefer Trade To These East Teams Over Celtics

If the Trail Blazers were to work on a trade with Damian Lillard this NBA offseason, the Celtics would not be his preferred landing spot.

Although Lillard has not vocalized a desire to leave Portland, a move out of the Pacific Northwest would not be terribly surprising. The Blazers currently are an outsider in the very competitive Western Conference and a blockbuster Lillard trade could help the organization accelerate a rebuild.

During a recent appearance on Showtime’s “The Last Stand,” Lillard received a list of hypothetical Eastern Conference destinations — Knicks, Heat, Celtics, Nets — and was asked by host Brian Custer to identify which team he’d be most satisfied by.

“Miami, obviously,” Lillard told Custer. “Miami is the obvious one and Bam (Adebayo) is my dog. Bam is my dog for real. But I mean, Miami’s the obvious one. Brooklyn is another obvious one ’cause Mikal Bridges is my dog, too. I mean, both are capable.”

The Heat should be interested in a potential Lillard trade, too. Starting point guard Gabe Vincent is playing on an expiring contract and Kyle Lowry is well past his prime. Lillard theoretically could take over as the primary ball-handler in Miami, where he could create arguably the NBA’s most formidable trio alongside Adebayo and Jimmy Butler.

Again, there are no signs pointing to a Lillard sweepstakes this summer. But if he becomes available, a trade to the Heat could make sense for all parties involved.