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- Miami (+200) is favored to land Damian Lillard if the Trail Blazers star moves on from Portland
- Dame averaged a career-high 32.2 points per game last season with 7.3 assists
- The 33-year-old recently name-dropped the Heat and Nets as his two preferred landing spots
While the No. 8 seed Heat made it all the way to the 2023 NBA Finals, they ultimately didn’t have enough talent to compete with the Denver Nuggets. Perhaps this is why Miami is favored to land All-Star guard Damian Lillard from the Trail Blazers.
If you look at the 2023 NBA Draft Betting Odds, Portland is favored to take guard Scoot Henderson with the third-overall pick. Which means they could be open to moving Dame to open up space in their backcourt. Before we look at Lillard’s Next Team odds, be sure to check out our guide to betting on NBA basketball.
Damian Lillard’s Next Team Odds
| Team |  |  |  |
| Miami Heat | +200 | +200 | +200 |
| Brooklyn Nets | +300 | +300 | +300 |
| New York Knicks | +300 | +300 | +300 |
| Boston Celtics | +400 | +400 | +400 |
| San Antonio Spurs | +900 | +900 | +900 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Dallas Mavericks | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Atlanta Hawks | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| Chicago Bulls | +1800 | +1800 | +1800 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | +2000 | +2000 | +2000 |
Leaving Portland?
Damian Lillard has enjoyed a decorated 11-year run in Portland, making seven All-Star Games and being named to the All-NBA team seven times. However, the Trail Blazers have missed the playoffs the past two seasons and hold the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. If the organization doesn’t want to trade the pick for win-now assets, dealing Dame might make sense for both parties.
The 33-year-old guard has been painfully loyal to his franchise to this point, but time is running out if he wants a chance to win a ring.
.@stephenasmith says Miami needs to pursue Damian Lillard if they lose Game 5 tonight 👀 pic.twitter.com/LoeWYrUrUv
— First Take (@FirstTake) June 12, 2023
Taking talents to South Beach?
Why are the Heat (-200) favored to land Dame? Speculation heated up after the superstar guard was asked where he wanted to go on Showtime’s The Last Stand. “Miami obviously,” said Lillard . “Miami is the obvious one, and Bam Adebayo is my dog. Bam is my dog for real. I mean, I think Miami is the obvious one. Brooklyn is another obvious one because Mikal Bridges is my dog too. And both have capable rosters.”
The Nets (+300) are next on the board as they were name-dropped as well, but their title chances aren’t much better than Portland’s at this point.
Who will land Lillard?
If the Knicks (+300) built a trade package around 22-year-old guard RJ Barrett, Madison Square Garden fans would love cheering on the future Hall of Famer. But, don’t expect Boston (+400) to dangle Jaylen Brown to acquire Lillard. TNT’s senior NBA insider Chris Haynes said it’s “pretty safe to say” Dame wouldn’t accept a trade to the Celtics.
The Lakers (+1200) always seem to land basketball’s biggest stars. However, Lillard did criticize their treatment of former point guard Russell Westbrook. Kyrie Irving’s recent recruitment of LeBron James shows that Dallas (+1400) is desperate to add another big name, but it’s unlikely they have the trade assets to make it work.
“This summer, Pat Riley has to go get a whale, and it need to be Damian Lillard.”
– The Athletic’s Manny Navarro pic.twitter.com/YO5MZDxQqq
— Heat Nation (@HeatNationCom) June 12, 2023
Best Bet
While we usually prefer taking longshots in these types of bets, we think Dame will eventually find his way to South Beach. The 33-year-old said that’s where he wants to play and the Trail Blazers will want to reward their franchise player for his devout loyalty over the years.
Bet on Miami at +200, and if he ends up staying put in Portland, you will get your money back if you place your wager at BetOnline.
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