With the final days of September leading toward training camp across the NBA, the Portland Trail Blazers have increased conversations with rival front offices this week in an effort to conceive the greatest possible return for seven-time All-Star Damian Lillard, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Since the initial July talks stemming from Lillard’s trade request did not result in a deal to his preferred destination of Miami or another potential landing spot such as Brooklyn, the beginning of training camp — and media day Oct. 2 — has loomed as the unofficial deadline for Portland to part with Lillard and start a new Blazers era in earnest.