Damian Lillard Could Net Trail Blazers, Scoot Henderson Core Piece

For all the recent drama, Damian Lillard is still an NBA superstar. And as we’ve seen in the past several years, those typically yield high-caliber, up-and-coming young prospects.

The impending Lillard trade has been long and drawn out, but radio host John Gambadoro thinks that might change very, very soon.

“Damian Lillard is going to get traded very soon,” Gambadoro said on Thursday. “I would even say probably within the next 24 hours — I am expecting a Damian Lillard trade.”

But Adrian Wojnarowski on Friday said that the Heat haven’t been totally involved in recent Lillard talks, leaving plenty of questions about who the Trail Blazers could be after.

“Those talks have intensified this week with Damian Lillard, but still there's no trade imminent,” Wojnarowski said. “So far, the one element that has not been a part of these talks are the Miami Heat."

There’s strong reason to believe that's the case, seeing that Miami doesn’t have a strong, young piece for Portland to add to their growing core of Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe and more.

To narrow down who these mystery teams are vying for Lillard’s talents, you may need to start with who can offer exactly that.

Despite being thought of as some of the last options, those who have frequented the tops of the last few drafts may have a better chance than many think.

Any team that’s come away with great young prospects — but are riding the line of playoff contention — could think about making a big move.

Regardless, finding another core piece to add next to Henderson and Sharpe should be Portland’s sole focus moving forward.

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