Raptors Reportedly Interested in Blazers’ Damian Lillard Trade

The Damian Lillard trade request saga appears to be taking another turn.

While thePortland Trail Blazersguard hopes to be dealt to the Miami Heat, that hasn’t stopped other teams from wanting to trade for him.

“I’ve heard that it’s not just one team, that multiple teams in the East [called for Dame], the Raptors being one of them,”Matt Moore said on the Locked On NBA podcast. “That’s the thing nobody is really saying, but everyone around the league knows the Raptors we’re amongst the teams. They’ve kicked the tires.”

The Raptors make sense as a potential destination for Lillard. The team just lost point guard Fred VanVleet this summer after he signed with theHouston Rocketsin free agency. Toronto has also waffled between wanting to rebuild and contend in a very similar fashion that Portland has.

While the team has reasons to rebuild, Toronto is desperate to keep alive the hope that the 2019 NBA championship team gave, even if the team’s roster looks far different than it did four years ago.

The Raptors could offer an interesting package headlined by Scottie Barnes, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021NBA Draft. Even if Toronto didn’t wish to include him in a deal, OG Anunoby or Pascal Siakam could fit, along with 2023 No. 13 overall pick Gradey Dick.

BE community, what do you think about the Raptors’ potential interest in Dame? Chime off in the comments below.