Milwaukee Bucks: 3 Teams Headline 'Double-Digit' Number of Damian Lillard Suitors After Shocking Waive and Stretch Move

3 Top Landing Spots in Sweepstakes for Milwaukee Bucks’ Former Co-Star

Team 1: Miami Heat, per Chris Haynes

Lillard has been linked to Miami dating back to his trade request two seasons ago when he was still in Portland. The Heat lost out that time as the Bucks put together a trade package including point guard Jrue Holiday, Grayson Allen, a first-round pick and two first-round swaps. That deal has done much to scrap the team’s future; Milwaukee no longer controls a first-round pick until 2031.

If Miami want to take a shot at Lillard returning to form post-injury, now is the time. Pairing him up with center Bam Adebayo and combo guard Tyler Herro would give the Heat three All-Stars – or two All-Stars plus an older Dame – to compete around.

Team 2: Golden State Warriors, per Spears

Certainly a backcourt of Lillard and Steph Curry is an intriguing thought. The Warriors also have Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green on deals that run through 2026-27. On the whole, though, that roster would be hilariously geriatric. Golden State would likely need to feature some younger cornerstones on a contender including any combination of the above players.

Team 3: Portland Trail Blazers, per Haynes

A Lillard-Blazers reunion is a popular notion. How much sense it would make with the presence of Holiday – how ironic would that be, joining those two – is questionable. Both would be older guards on a young team attempting to build a future core. Shaedon Sharpe needs a pathway to starting minutes. Scoot Henderson is also there. Rostering both Holiday and Lillard would create an unfavorable surplus.

Of the mentioned teams, Miami is definitely the best fit given the rest of its roster. Dame would partner up with a defensively dominant, facilitating big man in Adebayo. The Heat are neither prehistoric nor crowded with young shoots who already have a mentor figure.

Social media seems to like him in Boston, Brooklyn, Phoenix, or on the Lakers. It seems everyone’s going to the Lakers, except that so far no one is. Assuming full recovery, Dame could still help a lot of teams, hence the “double-digit” callers, but his general fit might not be quite as widespread as first glance suggests.