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Following an unceremonious playoff exit at the hands of the Denver Nuggets, Damian Lillard's future with the Portland Trail Blazers is in doubt. Lillard went out in six games against the undermanned Nuggets, despite averaging 34 points, 10 assists and a steal on a staggering 44.9% shooting from 3-point range.
A first-round departure is an underwhelming result for a player of Damian Lillard's caliber, who beyond doubt would like to assess his options going into the 2021-22 season.
3 Teams who have the best chance to land Damian Lillard this summer
Damian Lillard is set to be on the radar of multiple contenders this offseason. However, only a few of them have the cap space/assets to make it work. In this article, we take a look at 3 franchises who are best positioned to land him in the upcoming trade season.
#3 New York Knicks
No team has more cap space going into the 2021-22 NBA season, which automatically makes the New York Knicks well-positioned to land free agents and disgruntled stars in the offseason. The Knicks front office made some smart moves over the course of the 2020-21 campaign, getting veterans on short-term deals and cutting players who were underperforming.
The New York Knicks have been looking for a bonafide superstar since Carmelo Anthony left the Big Apple, and if Damian Lillard does indeed decide to leave the team that drafted him, Tim Thibodeau's team will be in an excellent position to make an offer.
#2 Miami Heat
The Miami Heat have one of the best front office executives in Pat Riley, who has overseen the team's recent revamp. The Miami Heat have a healthy cap status as a result of Riley deciding to put team options on veteran players Goran Dragic and Andre Iguodala's contracts.
Despite getting swept in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs, the Miami Heat still hold the potential to replicate their performance in the NBA bubble. Damian Lillard wants to win an NBA championship, and there are a few places better than Miami that can help him do that.
#1 Boston Celtics
A tumultuous 2020-21 NBA season led to some major changes in the front office for the Boston Celtics, with Danny Ainge stepping down from his position and former head coach Brad Stevens taking over as president of basketball operations. There are changes expected to be made to the roster as well, with Marcus Smart and Kemba Walker potentially on the verge of getting moved.
If the Boston Celtics do end up parting ways with the two aforementioned guards, they will be in an excellent position to land Damian Lillard. The Celtics have a good project, and Lillard will have the luxury of playing with two-top tier wings in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown - something that has been missing from his career so far.
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