Damian Lillard has made it clear he wants out of Portland. The Trail Blazers may accommodate his request, though likely prioritizing deals that include young players and draft assets. Lillard deserves no criticism for seeking a more suitable position after years of being part of an organization that had reached its ceiling. It was time for change. Trade Value Portland Trail Blazers will certainly endeavor to accommodate Damian Lillard's request for a trade, though it will take considerable assets in return for his departure from their roster. As one of the league's premier shooting guards with exceptional skills and immense value, Lillard would take many assets away from Portland before agreeing to move. Lillard is an ideal player to add to any team, yet has yet to take his shot at winning an NBA championship. At 32 years old, however, Lillard still has ample opportunity to do just that, though the right circumstances must exist in order for this goal to come into fruition. Lillard has expressed his desire to play for a contender, with Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets among his preferred destinations. Both franchises would make an excellent fit considering his friendship with Heat center Bam Adebayo and Nets forward Mikal Bridges as well as their respective roster construction. Lillard still has four years and $216 million remaining on his contract, so to convince the Trail Blazers of trading him away they would require an enormous package of both young players and draft picks, including point guard Scoot Henderson and 2022 lottery pick Shaedon Sharpe as well as talented big man Jerami Grant. As both Henderson and Sharpe possess immense potential, the Blazers may seek to include them in any trade package for Lillard. As another option, they could send both young players as well as veterans on team-friendly contracts in addition to several tradable first-round picks. At the core, what the Trail Blazers receive in return for Lillard will ultimately depend on market forces and what teams are willing to pay in return. While no team in contention may meet Lillard's asking price, some could come forward with offers too tempting for Portland not to accept; Boston Celtics may offer something too good to refuse; after trading Rozier to Brooklyn Nets they need a replacement starting point guard as soon as possible. Team Value Damian Lillard has put the Trail Blazers in an awkward situation when it comes to team value with his decision on Friday to opt-in and request a trade from them. Lillard, their all-time leading scorer and eight playoff appearance leader over 11 seasons has wanted a chance at championship glory but Portland does not appear likely to achieve this objective in his remaining prime years. Portland boasts young talent like Anfernee Simons, Scoot Henderson and Dorian Finney-Smith who are developing quickly but have yet to contribute significantly in postseason play. That means it is unlikely they can match Lillard's salary without giving up other assets - which would likely leave them rebuilding mode for quite some time. That could be a deterrent for teams considering trading for Blazers star Brandon Roy, but that doesn't necessarily preclude finding him a new home if no attractive package can be offered him. Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics have expressed some form of interest. Each team offers Lillard in exchange for young players and future draft picks that could potentially make up a trade package: for instance, Miami may consider including Bam Adebayo, Mikal Bridges and Royce O'Neale along with their 2024 first-rounder while Brooklyn Nets offer several expiring contracts along with Mikhail Butler as potential trade bait to lure him away from Portland. The Celtics may also look for someone who can help them push through to the conference finals, though that would require including Jaylen Brown and multiple first-round picks as part of any offer for Lillard. On the other hand, Trail Blazers could find more attractive offers as they navigate free agency and the 2023 NBA draft. The Trail Blazers must carefully weigh the advantages and disadvantages of keeping Lillard, including another shot at making a run at the playoffs, against their desire to retain young talent they've worked so hard to develop. Letting him walk away will only deepen their reputation as non-contenders. Young Player Value Lillard is an immensely talented and veteran point guard who has been one of the league's premier point guards for 11 seasons. He holds first place among Blazers franchise history for points, three-pointers and assists, scoring more than 20,000 career points overall and reaching the Western Conference Finals four times during his career. If the Blazers decide to trade him away they may gain access to an abundance of young talent and picks that could significantly bolster their rebuild plan. However, unless the Trail Blazers show that they're serious about contending, Lillard may leave without regret. Over the past two years, they've restructured their salary ledger and added young talent - such as Jerami Grant and Anfernee Simons who both played on last year's gold medal-winning U.S. team at Tokyo Olympics. Even with all these changes, the Trail Blazers still finished 27-55 and missed the playoffs only twice over 13 seasons. Lillard expressed discontent at their current direction and has requested being traded. As such, the Trail Blazers would consider trading him if an adequate offer is presented to them. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, both Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets have expressed an interest in signing All-Star guard Russell. Miami seeks more backcourt scoring while Brooklyn wishes for additional star power while Mikal Bridges, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Bam Adebayo may all benefit from having another veteran leader join their core. No matter where Lillard goes, he will be an asset to any franchise he joins. He will likely lead them to success and help build them into consistent contenders over time; yet for Portland's Trail Blazers it would be a significant loss without any return for their investment; especially given that they have already struggled to change their image as an irresponsible team lacking youth or draft picks. The Trail Blazers must do everything in their power to alter this narrative or risk becoming perennial doormats against teams possessing these assets. Draft Assets Damian Lillard's decision to request a trade is driven by his desire to play for a championship contender. Although Lillard has made clear his desire to remain with Portland for as long as possible, he now feels it's necessary for this franchise to return to playoff contention by making changes and returning this team back to playoff contention. The Blazers have already taken steps this season towards realizing this objective, including trading away their No. 3 overall pick in exchange for win-now player Scoot Henderson and adding undersized shooting guard Anfernee Simons along with promising young centers Patty Mills and Royce O'Neale. But even with these additions, it remains unlikely that Portland can compete in the Western Conference this season and make another run at reaching the Finals; many believe Lillard must find another team sooner rather than later. There will likely be many teams interested in signing Blazers superstar point guard Damian Lillard this off-season, from Miami Heat (who were close to winning this year but ultimately fell short) to Brooklyn Nets with many expiring contracts and first-round picks such as Mikal Bridges, Dorian Finney-Smith and Byron Scott available as potential destinations. Philadelphia needs an experienced point guard who can complement reigning MVP Joel Embiid while adding depth. Although the Blazers may find it hard to secure one of those teams as Lillard's destination, their attempt cannot be faulted; no matter where Dame goes next, his fantasy impact will certainly remain prominent wherever he ends up playing.