[Fischer] Toronto has made clear to all inquiring parties that Barnes stands as the Raptors’ franchise focal point, sources said. Any deal with Toronto could include recent first-round selection Gradey Dick, sources said,

From Jake Fischer’s most recent article:

> At this juncture, Toronto and Chicago have been the two possible destinations for Lillard most discussed by league figures. While a collection of NBA personnel expect Portland to engage Miami before finalizing something with another suitor, the Heat have not factored primarily in the Blazers’ recent dialogue surrounding Lillard, league sources said. Additionally, the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz have materialized as periphery teams that could factor into larger deals that help facilitate Lillard’s departure from the Blazers.

> Nurkic’s average annual salary of $17.5 million is roughly half of Ayton’s $33.2 million paycheck, so there’s additional accounting that would need to take place and satisfy this part of the Lillard puzzle. Adding perhaps the $18 million salary of Raptors forward OG Anunoby would help match the money, in the event that Masai Ujiri’s front office finally moves on from one of their prized core pieces, having flirted with several trade scenarios before the February deadline and throughout this offseason. All that flirting with little outcome — aside from adding back Jakob Poeltl — has left plenty of NBA figures skeptical Toronto will actually pull the trigger.

> Moving Anunoby and other compensation for Lillard, though, is a much different prospect than moving him for picks from a team like Memphis or New York. But what goes back to the Blazers? And if you’re Portland, could the chance of moving Anunoby rekindle conversations with suitors such as the Knicks and add to the greatest possible return Cronin’s staff seeks? Or, maybe Anunoby simply sticks around in Portland.

> There are plenty of avenues to evaluate, which makes the Raptors one of, if not the most viable threats to land Lillard outside of the Heat — similar to the Cavaliers’ surprise acquisition of Donovan Mitchell last September. Don’t count on Scottie Barnes, however, being the blue-chip centerpiece of Portland’s return. Toronto has made clear to all inquiring parties that Barnes stands as the Raptors’ franchise focal point, sources said. Any deal with Toronto could include recent first-round selection Gradey Dick, sources said, just like then-rookie wing Ochai Agbaji and then-rookie center Walker Kessler both functioning as additional draft compensation in Utah’s returns for Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, respectively, last offseason. In any deal with Miami, league personnel expect Portland to ask for the Heat’s recent first-round pick, Jaime Jaquez Jr., as well.

> It seems unlikely All-Star forward Pascal Siakam would fit into a package for Portland. Siakam is entering the final year of a lucrative contract and hasn’t yet completed a pricey extension he’s eligible to sign. Paying Siakam would be a curious commitment from the Blazers after awarding Jerami Grant a five-year, $160 million deal in July, when Portland was not considered interested in backing Siakam’s next contract. And would the rebuilding Blazers really make long-term sense for an in-his-prime All-NBA talent?

> Anunoby does bring his own share of financial considerations. The 26-year-old swingman has a player option for the 2024-25 season, took meetings with several agencies before leaving Klutch Sports for CAA and informed various representatives, sources said, that he is looking for greater ball-handling opportunities that can result in a commensurate salary increase. Maybe there’s more of that chance in Portland, where Barnes’ development won’t stand in the way of Anunoby’s. It’s hard to imagine Phoenix fitting Anunoby’s next deal into its exorbitant payroll — as part of the three-team concept described above — but if there’s any ownership group currently willing to splurge to that degree, it’s this Suns leadership.

[Source](https://sports.yahoo.com/the-damian-lillard-saga-how-things-are-shaping-up-and-what-factors-are-in-play-233718397.html?guccounter=1)

by Cheechers23