Damian Lillard says he’d ‘clearly’ select the Warmth over the Celtics

Damian Lillard remains to be below contract with the Trailblazers, so Portland would possible have conform to a commerce for him to land with a brand new crew.

Throughout a current interview on Showtime’s “The Final Stand” with Brian Custer, Lillard said he wouldn’t choose Boston if it had been as much as him.

Custer requested Lillard about a number of rumored commerce locations, together with Boston, New York, and Brooklyn.

 “If a type of trades went via, out of these groups, which one would you be like, ‘Eh, that’s not too unhealthy?” Custer requested.

Lillard laughed as he responded.

“Miami, clearly,” Lillard mentioned. “(Warmth heart) Bam (Adebayo) is my canine for actual however Miami, clearly. Brooklyn is one other apparent one as a result of Mikal Bridges is my canine too.”

A number of analysts, together with ESPN’s Stephen A Smith, have talked about Lillard as a commerce goal for the Celtics. Smith mentioned earlier this week that he doesn’t assume Jaylen Brown is value a supermax contract and that Lillard could possibly be a alternative.

“Both you get an abundance of gamers, which I don’t assume is critical,” Smith mentioned. “Or, you get a superstar-caliber sniper like Damian Lillard to come back to Boston in return for [Brown’s] providers. If I’m the Boston Celtics, I’m one thing alongside these traces quite than giving [Brown] $59 million, which is greater than Damian Lillard is making at this second in time.”

Lillard, who turns 33 subsequent month, signed a two-year extension with Portland that would take his annual wage as excessive as $63 million in his ultimate season in 2027.

However, for the subsequent two seasons, Lillard’s wage shall be below $50 million.