The Damian Lillard trade sweepstakes took over the basketball world this summer, but for the majority of it, the intriguing part wasn’t thinking about where he could end up but when the deal would get done. Lillard requested to be traded to the Miami Heat, and rumors indicated that he wouldn’t accept a deal to any other organization, including the Chicago Bulls.
However, more rumors have popped up in recent days, and it seems as though other teams could be entering the mix for Lillard. While it’s unclear whether or not Lillard would accept a deal to another destination, some squads could be willing to take that risk.
According to Marc J. Spears of ESPN, the Chicago Bulls are among a group of teams who have “shown interest” in potentially trading for Lillard since he first requested a trade.
“Along with Toronto and Miami, the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers and Chicago Bulls have shown interest since Lillard’s initial trade request,” Spears wrote. “Regardless of whether Lillard is traded or still in Portland come media day, a source said he is not expected to be a media day or training camp holdout.”
In order for the Bulls to match Lillard’s salary in a trade, Lonzo Ball would almost certainly have to be included (unless they wanted to trade away one of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic).
Adding Lillard to the squad would give the team an elite starting point guard, and depending on the depth they give up in the trade, they could be a real threat in the East.
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