NBA Rumors: 3 potential mystery suitors for Damian Lillard

No. 2 mystery Damian Lillard suitor: Brooklyn Nets

The Brooklyn Nets were mentioned long ago as a potential Lillard landing spot before he made the Heat his sole object of desire. Lillard's friendship with Mikal Bridges is public knowledge and there's reason to believe the Nets, who have no incentive to tank after trading all their picks for James Harden, could seek a path back to contention.

Lillard represents just such a path. Sure, it's not Miami, but he'd get to play under the bright lights of NYC with his good buddy Mikal, who emerged as a bonafide star after his own trade relocation last season. Bridges is an elite wing defender who complements Lillard as a spot-up shooter and bursty driver. Bridges is slightly overtaxed as a No. 1 option, but as a No. 2 with a killer mid-range jumper and a DPOY runner-up on resume, he would thrive.

The Nets have all the picks from the Durant and Irving trades, as well as a bountiful collection of quality young players — Nicolas Claxton, Dariq Whitehead, Noah Clowney, Cam Thomas, Day'Ron Sharpe — to toss into potential packages. The Heat can only muster a good-not-great package, so there's a real chance the Nets can beat Miami in a bidding war.

Brooklyn's poor guard depth was a topic of conversation last season. Spencer Dinwiddie was the only reliable playmaker after the trade deadline. Like the Raptors, though, the Nets have wings and bigs for days. That's good from a roster balance perspective, and it means Portland could take interest in the trade bait Sean Marks is (maybe) dangling.