Which team will Lillard go to next season? He is now focusing on recuperating his injuries, and is very injured after being laid off.

On July 4, Lillard sat in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of the rehabilitation center, looking out the gloomy sky of Milwaukee. The protective gear on the right calf shines coldly in the sun. This super point guard who once tore apart his opponent's defense is now experiencing the longest offseason in his career. The phone call from the Bucks management is still in his ears: "Damian, we need to build a younger lineup for Antetokounmpo..." The layoff decision three weeks ago was like a three-pointer, pushing him from the championship ranks to the vortex of the free market.

Transfer rumors have been rampant long before the All-Star Game. ESPN reporter Wonarovsky revealed in a podcast: "The general managers of at least six teams maintain informal contact with Lillard's team. "The most active of them is the Miami Heat, and Pat Riley was revealed to have flew to Portland to have dinner with Lillard three times. The 33-year-old veteran obviously has enough fuel in his fuel tank - his average of 28.4 points and 7.2 assists per game last season, coupled with the killer instinct at critical moments, has made his market value not discounted by his age.

But the cloud of injuries has always enveloped the transaction negotiations. The unconfrontational fall against the Celtics in February showed a second-level tear of the soleus muscle. Sports medicine expert Jeffrey Stotts warned in the Sports Illustrated column: "The recurrence rate of such injuries is as high as 40%, especially for defenders who rely on explosive power." This also explains why the Bucks medical team issued a risk warning report before the playoffs, which ultimately prompted management to make a decision to lay off employees.

The lights in New York always seem to be calling for frustrated superstars. Leon Ross, president of Knicks basketball operations, was photographed appearing at Lillard's rehabilitation training ground, and the team urgently needed to solve the problem of Brunson's offense constipation after leaving the court. There are rumors of "170 million in 4 years" in the box of the MSG Arena, but the team reporter Begley poured cold water: "New York is more inclined to sign first and then exchange, and they are unwilling to bet on the first round of 2027 for the hidden dangers of injury. "

Undercurrents on the West Coast are also surging. The Clippers were in urgent need of outside fire after losing George, and Ballmer's private jet was tracked to travel to and from Los Angeles to Milwaukee many times. The famous salary expert Bobby Max calculated the account in the podcast: "If Tucker is cut with extended terms, they can make enough room to sign Lillard directly. "But the Lakers in the same city seem to have more emotional chips, and James publicly praised it in the podcast: "Damian is a player born for the big scenes. "

The Chicago Bulls unexpectedly became a dark horse. According to the Chicago Tribune, the team is willing to give the first sign-up and then change plan for the first round of LaVin+2029 pick. Arturas Canisovas, vice president of basketball operations, is interested in the retro double gun composed of Lillard and DeRozan, which is an alien in modern basketball that emphasizes space efficiency. But an anonymous executive of the league revealed to Bleacher Report: "This kind of deal will be clear until the draft night, and it is now smoke bombs." Philadelphia's abacus is the best. Morey was revealed to have tried to use Lowry's expiration contract + 3 second round picks to pick up the bargain, hoping that Embiid's lobbying could impress his old friends. But Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer pointed out: "Unless Lillard accepts the middle class special case, the 76ers need to deal with Harris' contract first." This plan was quickly denied by Lillard's team, and his agent Goodwin emphasized to Yahoo Sports: "What we are looking for is a guarantee contract of more than three years. The odds in Las Vegas are quietly changing. Caesars Sportsbook latest data shows that the Heat leads with +180, with the Lakers (+350) and the Knicks (+400) following closely behind. But senior betting analyst Joe Ford found anomaly: "The Bulls soared from +2500 to +600, and there was obviously smart money coming in. "This fluctuation often indicates substantial contact that has not been exposed yet.

Lillard himself maintained a playful silence. Apart from posting a photo of himself wearing a hot jersey in his childhood on Instagram, he closed interviews on all transfer topics. But trainer Chris Brickley revealed to Sports Weekly: "He starts rehabilitation training at 5:30 every day, focusing on changing the shooting mechanism to reduce leg strength." A training video leaked late at night showed that his three-pointer backward seemed to have recovered 80% accuracy. The sound in the locker room may be the most valuable reference. Former teammate Nurkic broke the news on the podcast: "He told me to choose a place that can 'slap the Bucks in the face'. "Antetokounmpo's recent speech is intriguing: "I was in Greece when the management made the decision, and Damian knew my attitude. "These fragments pieced together a choice driven by dignity - Lillard needs not only a contract, but also a stage to prove the Bucks make mistakes.

Summer League will be a key turning point. According to the NBA's labor and capital agreement, the sacked players need to go through a 48-hour clarification period before signing with a new owner, which gives each team a buffer period to evaluate their health. An anonymous scout revealed to B/R: "There will be a secret trial in mid-July, and then his market value will truly surface. "

Over the field factors cannot be ignored. Lillard just started a music company in Portland needs to be based on the West Coast, and his eldest son is about to enter high school. These life considerations allow the Clippers and the Lakers to gain a better position, but the famous ruthless words of Heat CEO Riley, "Don't knock on the door without chips" have inspired the old-school player's competitive spirit.

When the rehabilitator finally removed the last muscle-effect patch from his leg, Lillard tied the Air Dame 8's shoelaces in the mirror. This action is like a kind of ritual - twelve years ago he started the legend wearing his first signature shoes, but now he has to use the same combat boots to question it. On the conference call on the eve of the opening of the Free Market, he said to Goodwin only one sentence: "Tell them, I want to see the floor of the finals." "