Multiple reporters have linked the Raptors to Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard over the past handful of days. Sources confirm to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca that Toronto is “very much in the mix” for the seven-time All-NBA guard.
Grange cautions that there’s still work to be done on completing a potential deal, but the two sides have made progress in negotiations.
In an appearance on the Five On The Floor podcast hosted by Ethan Skolnick and Greg Sylvander, Matt Moore of Action Network said the Raptors came close to trading for Lillard on Thursday, but downplayed their current interest.
“The Toronto stuff is just leveraging… I heard things were red hot on Thursday and again (Raptors vice chairman) Masai (Ujiri) walked away and then came back… I wouldn’t worry about the Raptors,” Moore said, per NBA Central (Twitter link).
However, Grange has heard differently, writing that from the information he has gathered, the Raptors are “very interested.”
As has been reported ad nauseam, Lillard hopes to land with the Heat, though Miami hadn’t been involved in trade talks with Portland as of a few days ago. The Magic are an under-the-radar team that could “make themselves heard” in the Lillard sweepstakes, sources tell Grange.
A Raptors deal centered around OG Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr., Thaddeus Young and draft picks would work from a financial standpoint, Grange observes. Toronto has also expressed interest in Blazers forward Nassir Little in the past, Grange notes.
That said, there are complications on a trade coming together. For starters, Lillard’s agent is Aaron Goodwin, who also represents DeMar DeRozan. Ujiri famously traded DeRozan for Kawhi Leonard in 2018, which led to Toronto’s first championship, but there was a fallout between Goodwin and Ujiri. Granges writes that the two men are believed to be on better terms now, but it’s still noteworthy.
Sam Amick of The Athletic also recently suggested Lillard might hold out if he were traded to the Raptors, writing that the 33-year-old “clearly doesn’t want to be” in Toronto. Raptors players tried to recruit Lillard a few years ago following Leonard’s departure, according to Grange, and were “instantly rebuffed.”
Still, Grange is skeptical Lillard would actually go the nuclear route, since it would tarnish his reputation and he would also lose a significant chunk of money. For example, when Ben Simmons held out for several months ahead of a trade in 2021/22, he lost about $20MM of his $33MM salary in the settlement with the Sixers, sources tell Grange. The NBA has also made clear with the player participation policy and awards tied to games played that it expects players to actually show up and perform, Grange notes.
While it’s easy to draw parallels between Toronto’s interest in Lillard and the team’s trade for Leonard, the situations are also markedly different. The Raptors had won 59 games in 2017/18 versus 41 last season — even with Lillard, the current group doesn’t seem like it’s close to contention. Lillard also has four years left on his contract and he’ll make a combined $121MM at ages 35 and 36, which carries far more risk than Leonard’s expiring deal did back in 2018.
The possible downside seems to outweigh the upside, which is why both Grange and Eric Koreen of The Athletic argue the Raptors should not trade for Lillard, even if they may have the assets to make it happen.
I’m just waiting on the official word from Windbag.
Silverware is doing this
“The Raptors had won 59 games in 2017/18 versus 41 last season — even with Lillard, the current group doesn’t seem like it’s close to contention.”
The Raptors were on almost a 50-win pace after they traded for Poeltl, to be fair. I don’t think the trade as currently constructed would entice Portland enough, but I fully expect that Lillard/OG or Barnes/Trent (or a comparable 2-guard)/Siakam/Poeltl could make a top 4 finish in the East with 55-ish wins.
Siakam is an All-NBA caliber player, OG and Barnes are all-defensive caliber players with complementary skillsets, and Poeltl is an underrated Center who would mesh well with Dame. Add in a complementary 2 (Trent preferred) and some more bench pieces (guys like T-Ross, Warren, Stanley Johnson, Wenyen Gabriel, Javonte Green, Terrance Davis, Rodney MacGruder, and others are still available to add to Schroder, Koloko, Achiuwa, and Jalen McDaniels), and they could compete quite well.
This is another reporter writing stories with NO real information.
1) If the reporter had a front office contact he wouldn’t have to write what “he” believes is the framework of a deal that would work. He would know exactly which players were being talked about. Only senior front office staff is involved in a deal, and they ain’t talking.
2) Agents don’t know anything here either. Teams don’t tell players/agents that we are thinking about trading you. You don’t want a situation where a player thinks you are shopping him, and now he has negative feelings for the team. Only time agent knows is when agent tells team player wants to be traded. They don’t call agents for potential deals. No Trade Clauses are very, very hard to come by in the NBA.
Nobody with information is talking to this dude. Just wait for Woj to Tweet when a deal is close to finalized. Everybody else is just guessing.
Grange has no insider info with the Raps, he says one thing and the opposite happens
Toronto is just being strung along to try to leverage Miami. Here’s a real trade for Toronto, what do y’all think?
Toronto: Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier, 2024 1st round pick (Worst of OKC, UTA, HOU & LAC via IND)
New York: Buddy Hield, whatever 2nd round pick via IND
Indiana: OG Anunoby
I think Knicks would rather just include one of their trove of firsts and get OG for themselves
no fox I thought of that, but they probably won’t move any of those picks in hopes of using them for Giannis or Embiid someday.
I highly doubt 1 pick will alter their chances very much. They could also flip OG in that same Giannis or Embiid trade, whether he be included in the package or rerouted for another 1st. Side note, there is a less than zero chance the raptors trade OG for grimes, fournier, and a pick in the 20s
NYK wouldn’t move Grimes, who’s a 2 way player, 22 years old, our best perimeter defender, and makes only a few million dollars over the next 2 seasons, unless they got a upgrade on each of those fronts. Hield would be a massive downgrade on each.
DXC I’m not a Grimes fan but the Knicks fans seem to love him so I get it, I’d rather have Hield’s offense in modern NBA.
@69 – You may be disappointed when you see what Hield eventually gets traded for. When is the last time an NBA team (IND no less) balked at an extension for a valuable player over price? Actually when is the last time any NBA team brought up price in a contract negotiation?
Why would we want no D Buddy. When we just signed DiV. Players who don’t play D. Don’t do well in MSG. Grimes is better than Hield now lol.
And why OG when RJ is same player. Knicks are not looking for a trade. Knicks are looking for a major trade.
@KnickbockerAI DiVi signing is exactly what makes Grimes expendable.
If raps trade OG it would be for a superstar like Lillard. Not for Fournier, Grimes and whomever…
I don’t agree with that, I hope they trade him for a couple unprotected firsts and expiring contracts. I think this team needs to rebuild. But I’m also fine with them resigning him for 5/$175M as he can be apart of the rebuild.
@panthers You’ll be very disappointed with the return on OG then.
I respect Ujiri for walking away if these reports are true.. clearly he discovered he was being used as leverage and it wasn’t serious. Good for him
I don’t care how infuriating Ujiri’s negotiating habits are, TOR pursuing Lillard makes sense based on Ujiri’s own team assessment. So, POR should stay with it until Ujiri leaves and doesn’t come back.
Seen a few Dame to Milwaukee reports floated
Think he and Giannas would be the perfect combination. I think Jrue would have to be flipped to a third team tho to get the deal done as Portland probably doesn’t care for him that much and there would definitely be a market for him.
Imagine this for a three team deal
Bucks: Damien Lillard
Knicks: Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen
Blazers: RJ Barrett, Evan Fouriner, 5 first and 2 swaps. (3 from Milwaukee and 2 swaps, 2 firsts from NY)
Milwaukee line up
Dame Connaughton Middleton Giannas Lopez
Beasley Crowder Portis
(Plus have another open roster spot)
Knicks line up
Brunson Holiday DiVancenzo Randle Robinson
IQ Grimes Hart Hartenstein
(Plus the likes of McBride, Allen, Sims)
Portland line up looks crap but they are rebuilding and have a bunch of first round picks. That’s a better return than what Miami was offering anyways.
Milwaukee would be title favourites and Giannas would then resign after winning another title.
NY would be super tough with those three leading them. They’d be that side no one wants to play in the playoffs and wouldn’t be surprised to see them give sides an upset.
Milwaukee would make sense. I think it would come down whether Giannis would rather play with Lillard over Holiday. With Lillard, Giannis would need to make for the loss of Holiday defense. But he wouldnt have to worry about offense as much.
Defensively Milwaukee have Giannas Brook Lopez Kris Middleton Pat Connaughton and Jae Crowder who are all good defenders
Jrue a main job was to provide defence on the perimeter and then 15-20 or so points with some playmaking. But he ended up getting cooked by Jimmy Butler and the bucks had nothing. Had they had Dame, they could’ve simply put Kris on Jimmy, who’s not as good defensively but he is bigger and stronger. Dame on the other hand tho would provide them with a genuine 30+ points per game scorer that Jimmy would’ve had to guard, meaning Bam had to take Giannas and Kris would’ve been more free, would’ve completely changed that series in Milwaukees favour
The bucks offence has always been the down fall their defence has always been there
Love what Portland is doing with Lillard. Franchise first should always be the mantra.
Get informed please ………..
Why would we give up assets for this ??
link to basketball-reference.com
When we already have this !!!!!!
link to basketball-reference.com
I can see Raptors enquire about Dame. But why would they pay his salary. To be the same team. And why would Dame go there to maybe make the playoffs. The whole point of a Dame trade. Is to get to Finals. Not to change scenery.
Unless Siakam is dealt. Raptors got nothing. Heat offer is better. You got two young guns. Two #1 picks and Herro. Lowry to mentor Scoot for a yr. I think Nurkic has to be part of trade. Imo That’s what Blazers are waiting for.
If Toronto is involved, it must be a three way trade. Lillard is only going to Miami.