4 teams that are salivating over a Damian Lillard trade request

The Golden State Warriors want to trade for Damian Lillard

This is the wild card in the conversation, but the Golden State Warriors have to be considered among any other Lillard trade suitors. Rumors of Lillard returning home to Oakland have always been percolating, and perhaps this is the offseason in which that could become a reality.

Pairing Lillard and Stephen Curry in a backcourt is obviously the most dangerous shooting combination in the league; with Klay Thompson playing the three, it’s unclear how teams would even approach defending the Warriors. The Splash Triplets would rain down fire on any and all comers.

Defensively, there would obviously be concerns, but would it be any worse than what the Warriors are currently facing with Chris Paul coming to town? At least this deal would offer an insane offensive upside that balances out the defensive issues. It might not work, but there’s absolutely a scenario in which it works incredibly well.

The Warriors can use Paul’s contract as a starting point, with young players like Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski to potentially add-in. The Warriors can trade their 2026, 2028 and most of their 2030 first-round picks, giving them an intriguing package to send to Portland, who could then become the latest team to move Chris Paul this offseason.

When Lillard and the Blazers finally conclude that it’s time to part ways, there will be no shortage of suitors lining up for the All-NBA guard. Expect these four teams to be fighting to get to the front of the line, hoping for a chance to add Lillard to their championship efforts.